How Soweto and Lesotho inspired Thandi Moagi’s breakout debut

A gift the “new normal” Covid-19 left society was the convenience of remote working and virtual interviews. Attending this year’s Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg was a pleasant experience compared to staring at screens zooming in on conversations with authors. 

Live book events allow for mingling with seasoned and novice authors alike.

An author who has burst onto the literary scene faster than zama zamas digging tunnels is Thandi Moagi, with her debut novel Wisani and the Bafokeng Brothers.  

Meeting her in person is a change from the virtual interview a few weeks before but Moagi knows all too well how to use the screen to share her work.

From 2023, the world was introduced to her engaging stories through daily inserts and chapters on Facebook. The honest feedback she received encouraged her to refine her craft and build a virtual community. 

The initial stages of Moagi’s debut novel began on her social media platform but after realising its meteoric potential, she withdrew the story to continue it privately. The visibility, consistency and grit she showed in improving her work eventually caught the eye of 

Set between South Africa’s bustling streets and mountainous Lesotho, Wisani and the Bafokeng Brothers is a story of power, love, heritage and resilience driven by a formidable cast worthy of a Netflix series adaptation.

The story follows the ambitious and sharp-tongued, Wisani Maluleke, a Wits student juggling three jobs to care for her bedridden mother and her younger brother. Looking to complete her research project, she is led to the Bafokeng brothers, heirs to the feared Marashea underworld. 

Falling for the dangerous Mohapi Mofokeng pulls Wisani into a world of secrets, violence and fierce allegiance. Caught between love, survival and her family’s challenges, she must decide whether to leave or stay with the brothers who could either destroy or protect her.

Moagi’s book was inspired by the everyday resilience of the people of Soweto and the stories of gangs, perilous love and fast life.

“I drew from the stories I grew up hearing about the Marashea gangs — stories filled with mystery, history and complexity,” the author says.  

Moagi’s roots, stemming from a Sotho mother, further influenced the novel.

“My mother is from Lesotho and I come from Soweto, so both places live strongly within me, hence their cultures, rhythms and histories naturally found their way into the book.”

As such, the novel is a “tapestry woven from everything I have heard, everything I have seen and everything I have lived through”. 

Strength, softness and survival 

A novel with a vast cast of characters from different families, friendships and communities could, however, risk some readers getting lost in the story. 

The character development process was manageable, Moagi adds, as each character has a purpose that is important to the journey of the main characters.

For instance, with Wisani, we understand she is Tsonga and the people around her — like her younger brother, ailing mother and neighbour — help shape that part of her identity and story.

Through their extended families, culture and relationships in Lesotho and Gauteng, the Bafokeng brothers bring their own richness and influence to the narrative.

“Rather than feeling crowded or confusing, the characters each served a purpose. Together, they helped build a fuller, more layered world. Each person added something meaningful, whether it was tension, love, humour, guidance or conflict,” the author explained.  

The Bafokeng brothers hold the overall story like hands gripped on a weapon, ready to defend or destroy. Not only in origin but stature, these are mountain men who speak in phrases and tones. 

After the eldest Mohapi, there is the cold but loyal Mashile, then Ramasilo, the strategist and Thuto, the youngest and the most tech-savvy of the bunch.Grounded in culture and family codes, the four men present varying views of masculinity and black love. For instance, Thuto, is married with a wife in Lesotho while he hustles in the City of Gold. 

His undying loyalty is to his brothers and building a family back home, yet when the wife’s sinister ways are exposed, it leads to Thuto’s subtle wrath.

Like Mohapi, Mashile is ominous and stony faced but once Wasani and Luhlelwa come into their lives, their hearts flutter and radiate with compassion. Committed and in love, the brothers make protecting their women from the dangers of their underworld a priority. 

The infectious but dangerous love story explores whether the couples’ relationships are shaped by survival and the pursuit of emotional and financial security, particularly for the women or whether love simply transcends logic and circumstance, choosing its own path.

The female characters, like Wisani and Luhlelwa, show how one can find gentle love in tough situations. Raised by strong women, including her grandmother, aunts and cousins, Moagi wanted to honour such women in the novel. Despite the heavy burdens “many women move through the world beautiful, fabulous and feminine”. 

“Strength does not cancel softness. Survival does not erase the desire to be loved gently. Women can be strong and resilient while  being delicate, soft and deserving of tenderness,” the author affirmed.