Book review: The Zulus of New York Zakes Mda

One of my favourite African authors is Zakes Mda. I consider him to be a giant in the African literature arena. What I love about his work is that there is always an aspect of South African history incorporated in his writings. Zakes Mda has a way of not only reflecting about South Africa’s history. However, he reminds us of the importance of telling our stories because of our history. We need to find ourselves in a position that echoes our history in the global arena. African literature is one of the ways in which we can do so. 

Bab Zakes is not only a Pan-Africanist at heart. He is one of the greatest storytellers and an exceptional writer. I love his sense of humor and his marvelous mind. However, what I love most about Bab Zakes is his love for African heritage and culture. It resonates in his work which I highly recommend you get.   

The Zulus of New York is a tribute to the preservation of African heritage and culture. 

The IOM UN Migration stated that “the overall estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades”. This loosely means that more and more people are leaving their places of origin for various reasons. Generally, the common reason for leaving your place of birth is to seek better economic opportunities. 

What personally fascinates me is that when we emigrate do we take our African heritage and culture to where we are headed? Or do we abandon and adopt the culture or heritage of where we end up? This is something to think about without bringing offence. 

With that said, The Zulus of New York shaped my worldview on African heritage and culture. When an impresario introduced “Em-Pee’’ and his troupe to show business it was about making a living. I think what mattered in the beginning was the monetary gain. Em-pee was pleased to just have an audience. He did not pay mind about how he portrayed himself to the world. Therefore, that he was “savage” did not move him. I think because at the time it was just about making a living. 

It is when he discovered himself and the birth of his son that changed his outlook of his work. He began to realise that conforming to the new way of life suppressed his identity. This is because he knew that his culture contributed to the man he was. 

The life he was exposed to in Kwa-Zulu pursued rhythm, song and dance. When Em-pee remembered that aspect of his culture, he sought to teach his troupe in hope to shift their narrative on stage. This version of the troupe was soulful and an authentic human encounter. However, to his surprise this version was not embraced and contributed to a loss in the audience. 

The message is clear: as we realign ourselves to our rich African heritage and culture on the new soil we now call home, we will encounter challenges. This is because the world has already given us an identity without our consent. The media has contributed to fuel negative stereotypes about our culture and heritage. In some instances, we forget to advocate for ourselves. We are responsible for changing our African narrative. 

What a powerful read. 

 Book 11 in 2025.

Phiwe Mncwabe is storyteller, blogger and voice in Africa.

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