After Tears

A darkly comic and poignant coming-of-age novel, After Tears follows Bafana, a young law school dropout who returns to post-apartheid Soweto only to face harsh realities, generational tensions, and dashed hopes. With biting satire and deep humanity, Niq Mhlongo captures the dreams and disillusionments of South Africa’s democratic transition.

Short Description:
Bafana’s failure to graduate from law school in Cape Town becomes the catalyst for a difficult homecoming. Back in Soweto, surrounded by eccentric family members and struggling with his own identity, he navigates a landscape marked by economic hardship, political disillusionment, and the enduring weight of expectation. Told with humour and urgency, After Tears is a sharp social commentary on the promises of the “new” South Africa.

Context & Background:
Set in the late 1990s, the novel portrays the early years of South Africa’s democracy—a time marked by hope but mired in structural inequality. Through Bafana’s story, Mhlongo reflects on the socioeconomic divide, the legacy of apartheid, and the contradictions of Black Economic Empowerment, making it a powerful lens for global readers to understand postcolonial urban life.

Author: Niq Mhlongo
Publisher: Kwela books, South Africa
Rights: All available, English South African excluded
Pages: 222