Bula Buka Publishers is proud to announce the return of Penumbra—the award-winning debut novel by Songeziwe Mahlangu—to bookstores across South Africa. First published to critical acclaim, the novel has been out of circulation for some time, but now re-emerges with a striking new cover due to demand.

Winner of the 2014 Etisalat Prize for African Literature and a finalist for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize, Mahlangu is one of the most distinctive literary voices to emerge from post-apartheid South Africa. With the reissue of Penumbra, he joins Bula Buka Publishers’ growing roster of bold, genre-defying African storytellers.

Readers will soon find Penumbra at Exclusive Books, Bargain Books, Takealot, and select independent bookstores.

A haunting psychological novel set in Cape Town, Penumbra follows Mangaliso Zolo—a young man drifting between illusion and reality—as he grapples with mental illness, substance abuse, and the ghosts of a fractured identity. From numbing weekends and cocaine-fueled escapism to a profound breakdown and quest for healing, Zolo’s unraveling offers a raw and compelling portrait of life on the margins.

“Penumbra is about the places the mind goes when the world no longer makes sense. Cape Town is not just the setting—it’s part of the breakdown,” Mahlangu says.

Songeziwe Mahlangu holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University. He now writes full time from King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape, where he values the quiet rhythm of small-town life for nurturing deep, introspective work. His return to publishing signals a renewed commitment to confronting the mental and emotional complexities of modern African life through fiction.

By partnering with Bula Buka Publishers, Mahlangu aligns with a mission to uplift powerful African narratives, invest in literary excellence, and publish with authenticity and creative conviction.

To pre-order Penumbra, or to explore bulk order opportunities, visit www.bulabuka.co.za.