Coconut by Kopano Matlwa is a bold, thought-provoking South African novel that delves into issues of race, identity, and belonging in post-apartheid Johannesburg. It follows the lives of two black girls from very different backgrounds — Ofilwe and Fikile — as they navigate the expectations of a society still deeply divided by race and class.
Growing up in predominantly white spaces, they wrestle with the tension of being “too black to be white, and too white to be black.” Through their stories, Matlwa explores the cost of assimilation, the yearning to belong, and the alienation that can come from being caught between two worlds.
