Celebrating its 75th anniversary this Heritage Month, Exclusive Books is launching its annual Homebru campaign under the theme "This is Home." The campaign represents a selection of local titles organised into Exclusive Books' featured categories, including top-selling books, established works, and recent releases.
Homebru is Exclusive Books' signature campaign highlighting South African authors by featuring local fiction, memoirs, and classics.
The campaign runs throughout September (Heritage Month) 2026 and is available across all Exclusive Books stores nationwide—including primary locations in Cape Town—as well as online.
The campaign features books by South African authors organised across five key categories: fiction, grow, know, taste, and explore.
First opened as a single shop on King George Street in Johannesburg in 1951, the bookseller has grown into an established brand with additional stores in Botswana and Namibia.
The Homebru initiative, launched in 2002, is marking nearly a quarter of a century of promoting home-grown talent.
For local readers, commuters, and book lovers, the campaign presents a selection of stories, recipes, landscapes, and ideas that define South African life.
Five categories to explore
This year’s Homebru selection is split into five distinct categories, available both in-store and online:
Novel Ideas for Us (Fiction): Features Takalani Mutshinyane’s Divine Arrangements, John van de Ruit’s new release Two for the Road alongside his iconic debut Spud, Sven Axelrad’s Dogs of Vivo, Ivan Vladislavić’s The Near North, Jackie Phamotse’s Bare VI, and Sally Andrew’s Recipes for Love and Murder.
Growing Up with Us (Children's and Educational): Includes 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 (Non-Fiction and Politics): Highlights 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 (Culinary): Showcases local food traditions with Mogau Seshoene’s The Lazy Makoti and Reuben Riffel’s Braai.
Exclusive Books CEO on the campaign
Exclusive Books CEO Grattan Kirk highlighted how the retailer's 75-year history relies on the ongoing relationship between local readers and writers, noting that buying South African books directly sustains the broader publishing industry of authors, editors, and illustrators.
"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," says Kirk. "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."
Key Milestones Across 75 Years
1951: The first Exclusive Books location opens on King George Street in Johannesburg.
1954: A second store opens in Hillbrow, establishing extended evening and weekend trading hours.
1998: The retailer introduces its Fanatics customer loyalty programme.
2002: The annual Homebru campaign launches to focus on South African authors and titles.
2026: Exclusive Books reaches its 75-year milestone, operating physical stores alongside an e-commerce platform.