Exclusive Books Turns 75 This Heritage Month, Marked Through Homebru

This Heritage Month, Exclusive Books' Homebru campaign which originally kicked off in 2002, is marking almost a quarter of a century spent putting South African authors and stories at the centre of the retailer's calendar. This year, that milestone carries extra weight: 2026 is also Exclusive Books' 75th year as a proudly South African bookselling brand, and rather than mark the anniversary on its own, the retailer is celebrating it through Homebru itself.

In 1951, Exclusive Books opened its first store in King George Street, Johannesburg. Seventy-five years on, the proudly South African bookseller has grown to 44 stores, extending beyond South Africa to Botswana and Namibia, as well as serving readers online.

Taking place throughout September under the campaign line "This is Home," Homebru brings together new releases and enduring local favourites that reflect South African life, history, ideas, landscapes, languages and food - all the things that make South Africa home. Homebru remains the moment when Exclusive Books' relationship with local storytelling and local readers is most visible, and this year that relationship doubles as a celebration of the brand's own South African story.

"A bookseller's history is ultimately written by its readers," says Grattan Kirk, CEO of Exclusive Books. "From one small Johannesburg store in 1951 to the communities we serve today, South Africans have trusted our booksellers to help them find stories that entertain, challenge and stay with them. That same trust is why Homebru matters so much to us - every South African book a reader takes home helps a local author build and sustain a career. It therefore feels right that our 75th anniversary should not only look back at the Exclusive Books story but turn the spotlight on our local authors and books that help us understand who we are and what we stand for."

Exclusive Books began as a small local bookshop and has grown alongside generations of South African readers. Its journey has followed some of the most significant changes in bookselling and reading, from the growth of city bookshops and shopping centres to the introduction of loyalty programmes, cafés, digital communities, e-commerce, and both virtual and instore literary events.

Yet, at its heart, Exclusive Books remains what it was at the beginning: a local bookstore staffed by passionate readers and booksellers who believe that finding the right book can be a personal and memorable experience.

Homebru reflects the many different ways in which books capture a sense of home and recognises our talented local authors. This year's collection is arranged across five categories, inviting readers to rediscover familiar favourites and encounter new South African voices.

"Novel Ideas for Us" - Fiction

Fiction brings together contemporary storytelling and enduring South African classics, including Divine Arrangements by Takalani Mutshinyane, Dogs of Vivo by Sven Axelrad, The Near North by Ivan Vladislavić, Bare VI by Jackie Phamotse, Recipes for Love and Murder by Sally Andrew and Spud by John van de Ruit.

Among this year's Fiction highlights, Takalani Mutshinyane has built a devoted following for the kind of love stories that keep South African readers turning pages long after bedtime. Raised in Shayandima, near Thohoyandou, and now based in Pretoria, she is one of the country's most popular contemporary romance authors; in Divine Arrangements, a jilted bride-turned-chef pours her heartbreak into building a catering business on her grandmother's land, rising over a decade to become a sought-after chef among Venda's elite.

At the other end of the shelf, John van de Ruit needs little introduction to South African readers: his 2005 debut novel, Spud, became a publishing phenomenon, smashing local fiction records and winning the Bookseller's Choice Award, before being adapted into a hit film starring Troye Sivan and John Cleese. Two decades on, Spud remains a coming-of-age favourite - a comedic, diary-style account of a scholarship boy's first year at boarding school on the eve of South Africa's democratic transition, capturing a very particular kind of South African adolescence. The new Spud book, ‘Two for the Road’, is available at Exclusive Books now.

"Growing Up with Us" - Grow (Children's & Educational)

The children's and educational collection celebrates the stories, languages, wildlife and experiences through which younger readers encounter South Africa. Titles include Athambile Masola's Dancing Words / Woorde Wat Dans, Refiloe Moahloli's All That I Am, and Erroll Cuthbert's My First Book of Southern African Wildlife.

"Writefully Ours" - Know

Know explores South Africa's history, politics and people through titles including Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, Steve Biko's I Write What I Like, Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, Jonny Steinberg's Winnie & Nelson, Mpoomy Ledwaba's How Did We Get Here?, Max du Preez's End of Normal, and Coloured by Tessa Dooms and Lynsey Ebony Chutel.

"Great Tastes for Us" - Taste

Taste celebrates the food, flavours and traditions that bring South Africans together, with books including Mogau Seshoene's The Lazy Makoti and Reuben Riffel's Braai.

"Our Country Around Us" - Explore

Explore turns to South Africa's landscapes, wildlife and natural heritage through titles such as Herman van Niekerk's Sappi Birds of South Africa: Enhanced Edition, Eddie Germiquet's South African Birds by Name and Mario Cesare's Tracks in the Dust.

Together, the categories demonstrate that heritage is not confined to history books. It lives in the stories families share, the meals prepared across generations, the languages people speak, the places they explore and the ideas that shape how South Africans understand themselves and one another.

"Homebru is not only about placing local titles on a shelf for the month of September," says Kirk. "It’s also about choosing a South African book that supports an entire creative community of authors, publishers, editors, illustrators, booksellers and readers who keep local storytelling alive. As we celebrate 75 years and look towards our next chapter, helping South African stories find and grow their audiences will remain central to the role we play."

Key moments in Exclusive Books' 75-year history
1951: The first Exclusive Books store opens in King George Street, Johannesburg.
1954: The business expands with a store in Hillbrow, which later becomes known for its extended evening and weekend trading hours.
1998: The Fanatics loyalty programme launches.
2001: The first Homebru campaign places South African authors and writing in the spotlight - the same campaign now marking its 25th year in 2026.
2026: Exclusive Books celebrates 75 years with 44 stores, including locations in Botswana and Namibia, and its online store.

Exclusive Books' 75th anniversary is both a celebration of how far the business has come and a thank you to the readers, authors, publishers and booksellers who have helped shape its story.

Throughout September, readers can explore and shop the Homebru collection at Exclusive Books stores nationwide and online at www.exclusivebooks.co.za