Our Story

A series collects and retells the story of the ancestors of all South Africans.

Ancestral Voices

A recently discovered collection of writing of South African culture and history.

The remarkable story of the people and events in South Africa

The series tells the earliest recorded stories of the ancestors of all South Africans

The people, clans & events that Shaped Southern Africa

For the first time a series collects and retells, with equal importance and emphasis, the story of the ancestors of all South Africans.

Discover the stories of our ancestors

Securing the future of our past.

Nearly forgotten even by those living in the provinces in which the events occurred

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The remarkable story of the people and events in South Africa

Heritage Publishers was launched to tell the previously unpublished stories of all South Africans before these are lost to us.

Through the Our Story series, Heritage Publishers hopes to preserve the future of our past. We hope that the Our Story series will generate new interest in the remarkable story of the people and events in South Africa.

For the first time a series collects and retells the story of the ancestors of all South Africans. Many are nearly forgotten even by those living in the provinces in which the events occurred. Our Story provides an opportunity for all South African learners to discover the stories of their own ancestors and those of their fellow citizens.

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Ask your local bookseller to order your copy, alternatively get in touch for direct orders or any questions you may have.

Read the book extracts

Each book in our catalogue includes images and book extracts for you to read.

Not sure which order to read our books?

View our suggested reading order.

The people, clans & events that Shaped Southern Africa

For the first time a series collects and retells, with equal importance and emphasis, the story of the ancestors of all South Africans. Most of these stories have their bi-centenary this century. Many are nearly forgotten even by those living in the provinces in which the events occurred. >Written in English for the First Additional Language learner, Our Story provides an opportunity for all South African learners to discover the stories of their own ancestors and those of their fellow citizens.

Our News

Ancestral Voices Bilingual Titles: Available Now!

For the first time in South Africa’s history mother tongue speakers of our official indigenous languages can learn about all aspects of their culture and history, in their mother tongue, as told and recorded by their ancestors in the 1930s and 1950s. These writings...

Preserving South Africa’s Heritage: Where are we now?

Ancestral VoicesAmazwi ooKhokho / Mantšu a Bagologolo / Marito a Vakokwana / Mantswe a Baholoholo / Maipfi a Vhomakhulukuku / Amazwi oKhokho / Mantswe a BagologoloThe most important Heritage preservation project currently underway in South Africa.In partnership...

The Ancestral Voices Project

We have described Ancestral Voices as the largest and most important heritage project of its kind currently underway in South Africa. How can this claim be justified?Until now most of South Africa’s history, seen from the perspective of indigenous language mother...

Ancestral Voices – The Largest Heritage Project of its Kind in South Africa

891 Indigenous Language Writings by 187 Authors These documents, written between 1930 and 1950 by mother tongue speakers of our indigenous languages are an entirely unique way of finding out about the past. At the time they were written, isiNdebele and Siswati were...

Heritage Month Readathon – Our Story: Siege of Mafeking

Heritage Month Readathon Our Story: Siege of Mafeking This siege took place at the beginning of what was then known as the Anglo-Boer war. For a long time it was considered a ‘white man’s war’, but was not, because it affected everyone who lived in South Africa,...

Ancestral Voices – Press Release 04 September 2020: Updated 12th October

891 Ancestral Writings in Indigenous Languages discovered by Heritage Publishers The Ancestral Voices project and campaign is a partnership between South African Heritage Publishers and the Special Collections Unit of the Department of Library Services, University of...

Ancestral Voices – Press Release 04 September 2020: Updated 15th September

891 Ancestral Writings in Indigenous Languages discovered by Heritage PublishersThis heritage campaign, in partnership with the Special Collections Unit of the Department of Library Services, University of Pretoria, and with unwavering support from City Press, is of...

Ancestral Voices – Rare Writings from our Forebears

SA Heritage Publishers, in cooperation with the University of Pretoria, has come across rare writings in seven of SA’s indigenous languages. The writings cover history, divination, traditional medicine, agriculture, and village and hut construction. Their translation...

Ancestral Voices – The Story of Bertie Ncaphayi

SA Heritage Publishers, in cooperation with the University of Pretoria, has come across rare writings in seven of SA’s indigenous languages. The writings cover history, divination, traditional medicine, agriculture, and village and hut construction. Their translation...

Ancestral Voices: South Africa Media Statement – 31st August 2020

At the start of Heritage Month 2020, South African Heritage Publishers, in co-operation with the University of Pretoria, are thrilled to make the following announcement about writings we came across during our research to identify historical events to be included in...

A Note From The Publisher

“For the past thirty years I have had the extraordinary good fortune to travel frequently through rural southern Africa and South Africa in particular. During this time I have formed close friendships with South Africans of all backgrounds, learning a little of each of our languages and a great deal about the past of our people.

Our Story was born in the garden of the house of a friend, Konanani Mathivha, when we acknowledged how little is known about the exploits of our ancestors. My friend turned to me and said, “You know a little of each South African language. You understand the challenges faced by educators in our schools. You appreciate the culture and past of all our people. And you have extensive publishing experience, why don’t you do something about it?”

I hope that this series excites the reader and that they find as much pleasure as I have in discovering the stories of our ancestors along with a new respect for them and the challenges they faced.”

~Terence Ball

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Say Hello!

Ask your local bookseller to order your copy, alternatively get in touch for direct orders or any questions you may have.

Get in touch for direct orders or any questions you may have.

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