All Quotes

"Migration impacted the lives of black people a lot in South Africa – forced migration – because it was always against our own will"

"I’ve seen some historical novelists playing with facts, that is just distasteful, disrespectful as to history"

"I find it works to draw people because history can be intimidating. But if you infuse it with some humor, it becomes more palatable in a way"

"I am not a reporter, I write opinions"

"We’re a country that is trying to find itself as a nation. We are not a nation"

"We have yet to formulate or to forge a common identity that says “South Africa""

"If you were a foreigner coming to South Africa, and you read the books, you will think black people do not exist"

"fiction projects today’s reality into the future much better than nonfiction"

"Being that young, I had to navigate the precarious space of being a colleague to these men, but also to be a child to them. When they were wrong on editorial matters, it was difficult for me to categorically tell them they were incorrect. I had to find euphemisms to put my points across. I didn’t always succeed"

"South African history, particularly that which has been forgotten or generally unknown, into the forefront so that it may not disappear into the past…to reignite unfinished conversations around issues of race, identity and land, for example"

"Writing a novel is like running a marathon"

"Contrary to popular belief, writing a short story is more difficult than writing a novel. A short story needs a clear focus, from beginning to end. In a novel there can be unnecessary deviations — which you can’t afford in a short story"

"systematically and deliberately tackle heavy subjects in my writing"

"As a novelist, I am concerned with the ways in which communities transform their historical experience into the symbolic terms of myth, and then use mythologised narratives of the past to organise their responses to real-world, present-day crises and events"

"Historical fiction can be a powerful tool in the hands of a writer who is also an activist"

"My job as a novelist is to record what happened back then, but to also raise a flag, to caution that the country still has some unfinished business"

"If we don’t resolve the issue of land redistribution decisively, and in a manner that takes full cognisance of the extent to which the majority was robbed, it may come to haunt us. It happened to our neighbour, Zimbabwe."

"Historical novels show us how the origins of many present-day problems lie in the past; they are vehicles for the necessary journeys that nations must take to be healed; they help us reimagine ourselves in the present day"

"The South African publishing industry is still largely in white hands."

"If you can’t imagine yourself in one of those boats, you have something missing. They are dying for a life worth living."

"If I could bring back one trend it would be looking people in the eye; acknowledging their presence with a simple ‘hey’ or nod as they pass you by. People more often seem shocked when I smile and say ‘hello’. It brings them into the present. We need that."

"This world of TV and film is gorgeous, money is lovely, but it’s quite lonely…. You go sit in your trailer, or maybe chat a little with people, but everyone’s on their phone and then you’re done. You’re done."

"I may only have three lines, but you are going to see me because I know I’m going to react. I’m going to be present."

"You want me for my color, you want me for my culture, you want me but you're not looking after me. You're not seeing the individual. That drives me absolutely fucking crazy."

"I used to want to fit in so much when I was young because of growing up in a predominantly white place."

"I'm looking at my mixed-race daughter growing up and trying to navigate her places. I really think of the world as post-George Floyd and pre-George Floyd. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, white people were able to see how other people existed. It's not about politics. We are diverse humans, in our abilities, but we represent so much more than just “diversity.” Our humanity is the thing."

"See me as a human, don’t see my colour first."

"Any time you get low, sit in it but don’t indulge in it. I wasted too much time worrying about what other people thought about me. Forward motion – that’s what I’m doing now."

"The impact of , , and, to a lesser extent , on the structure of the of large is explored in one fossil and four Recent communities. Two aspects are emphasized: (1) the number of species within each guild and (2) the extent of locomotor convergence as inferred from morphology among the constituent species. Locomotor behavior reflects habitat choice, hunting mode, and escape strategy, all of which appear to be important avenues of adaptive divergence among coexisting predators."

"Despite the repeated tendency of s to evolve s for hypercarnivory, a canid has yet to appear that is completely catlike, that is, without any post- s. This possible constraint on morphological evolution in canids is argued to have resulted, paradoxically, in increased flexibility over evolutionary time and a great potential for rapid diversification and clade survivorship. Finally, it is suggested that the iterative pattern of specialization of the lower molars for meat-slicing that is seen in all families of carnivores, past and present, is probably a result of intraspecific competition for food, perhaps among s. This intraspecific selective force is countered by competition among species, since there are limits on the number of hypercarnivorous species within a single community."

"Eaton (1979) was one of the first biologists to promote the importance of among coexisting large s. In his review, he focused on interspecific interactions over carcasses and noted that larger carnivores tended to displace smaller ones from carcasses and that grouping behavior could reverse this relationship. He noted as well that interspecific battles over kills occurred and often resulted in injury or death to one of the participants. In a study of adaptations to coexistence among carnivores, Van Valkenburg (1985) pointed out the additional pressure of interspecific predation among carnivores, noting that both juveniles and adults are killed but not always eaten."

"Sevens teaches you to live in those high-pressure moments, there’s no room to hide, every second counts and each decision can change the game"

"That environment sharpened my ability to make quick decisions, manage space effectively and maintain intensity over long periods"

"It also taught me resilience because in sevens you can be down and out in one minute but turn the game around the next. Those lessons have translated into 15s, especially at the World Cup, where the stakes are so high."

"It’s about keeping composure, adapting to what’s in front of you and the skill be it passing, tackling and quickly bouncing back up into the game"

"It was a mix of joy and gratitude. Personally, I thought back to all the years of sacrifice, challenges faced and the faith that kept me going when the road wasn’t easy"

"To finally see it pay off on a stage like the RWC felt like a testimony to God’s grace and our team’s resilience. For women’s rugby in South Africa, it was so much bigger than just us"

"I think it was a message that the Springbok Women belong at the highest level. It means that young girls can dream bigger and the country can start to see the true potential of women’s rugby."

"On the field, it’s about composure, showing younger players that you can handle pressure, stick to the system and still express yourself"

"Off the field, it’s about being approachable, sharing knowledge and making them feel supported in moments of doubt"

"You know they will test every part of your game. For us, the key was discipline and structure. We couldn’t get caught up in their tempo or play on emotion alone"

"Our physicality is always a strength, but it needed to be applied smartly with dominating collisions, slowing their ball and staying patient"

"At the same time, speed and fitness had to come into play, especially in transitions. If I had to choose one thing it was our discipline and structure. That gave us a foundation to compete, to stick to our plan and to trust each other in the big moments"

"I want girls to know their dreams are valid, no matter where they start. I was once a young girl with a dream too and it took years of work, setbacks and faith to get there."

"If you stay consistent and keep working even when no one is watching, opportunities will come. I want young girls to see us and know that it’s possible – whether it’s rugby, studies or something else entirely, you can break barriers"

"My personal goals are to keep growing as a player and leader and to continue representing South Africa in both sevens and fifteens."

"I also want to be part of building pathways for younger girls so that when they pick up a rugby ball, they already see a future in the sport."

"I hope South Africa will keep growing the game at the grassroots level so that we see more opportunities and investment in our athletes. The talent and passion is there – it’s now about building a structure that gives every young girl a chance to reach her potential"

"We respect the Springbok name deeply, but we also know that we’re writing our own story within it. We want to be known for our resilience, unity and courage"

"In terms of style we bring physicality, passion and flair that’s uniquely South African. We want people to look at us and see a team carving a legacy of heart, strength and pride in green and gold."