2026 Sunday Events
Please note that this programme is subject to change without prior notice.
- 09:00
- - 11:00
- Franschhoek Cellar Event Hall
*NEW VENUE – FRANSCHHOEK CELLAR*
Join Tony Leon for breakfast as he sits down with historians Peter Frankopan (The Silk Roads) and Sam Dalrymple (Shattered Lands), in debate with political analyst and journalist, Justice Malala, to examine how the long view of history illuminates the present, and whether today’s geopolitical tensions resemble the early tremors of global war.
Doors open for breakfast strictly at 08:30, session starts at 09:00. No entry without a valid ticket.
(Approximately 3kms from central Franschhoek. Allow additional travel time)
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- New School Hall
What happens when those who have operated inside the machinery of state turn to fiction? David McCloskey (The Persian), Mpho Boshego (Diplomatic Ties) and Pippa Hudson explore how real-world intelligence and diplomatic experience shape their fiction and how much truth can safely be woven into a compelling story.
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- Old School Hall
What would an economy rooted in Ubuntu look like? Phakamisa Ndzamela (Cape Flats To The JSE), Tanya Zack (The Chaos Precinct), and Chris Gibbons explore the entrepreneurial energy thriving in places like Joburg’s Jeppe Street, asking how African-centred models of enterprise could reshape unemployment, inclusion and the future of work. Joining the conversation is Osagyefo Mazwai, investment strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International.
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- Church Hall
A signature Cheeky Natives deep-dive discussion with Sven Axelrad (The Dogs of Vivo) and Rémy Ngamije (Only Stars Know the Meaning of Space: A Literary Mixtape) exploring the beauty and complexity of human connection. From unlikely friendships and platonic love to the search for belonging in a fractured world.
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- Congregational Church
Françoise Malby-Anthony (Dining with Elephants) joins Karina Szczurek to share stories and recipes from her bush kitchen – where elephants stroll past the breakfast table, and cheeky monkeys steal the croissants. South African ingredients meet French flair in this delicious celebration of food, wildlife, and life in the wild.
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- Council Chambers
In a world that feels relentlessly stressful, how do we stay hopeful, energised and open to possibility?
Bridget McNulty (Daily Glimmers), Richard Sutton (Shift Happens) and Zuraida Jardine explore simple but powerful ways to reconnect with joy, purpose and resilience, and to live not just successfully, but deeply and fully.
- 10:00
- - 11:00
- Hospice House
In her striking collection of poetic essays, The Crying Bride & Other Hallucinations, Dominique Botha moves between family memory and national history, the Highveld and Europe, humour and mourning. In conversation with Nancy Richards, she reflects on identity, inheritance, and the uneasy landscapes shaping modern South Africa.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- NG Church
From AI-driven workplaces to platforms built on distraction, our attention has become a valuable commodity. Bruce Whitfield (It’s About Tyme), Bronwyn Williams (Survive the AI Apocalypse) and Emma Sadleir (How Not to Mess up Online) unpack who profits, who is protected – and who is left behind.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- New School Hall
Sally Andrew (Wild Things Never Die) and food writer Tony Jackman (Retro Karoo Food) take Sarah Bullen on a delicious meander through South Africa’s heartland. From roosterkoek and lamb potjie to the vast skies and stories that shape the region, they’ll share all the dishes, destinations, and small-town secrets.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- Council Chambers
South African Paralympian, Sheryl James (Unbridling), has spent her life pushing past boundaries. She joins Africa Melane to reflect on defying expectations, silencing doubt and redefining the limits of human potential.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- Church Hall
Behind the drama of transplant medicine lie deeply human stories. In conversation with Koketso Sachane, doctor-author Rachel Clarke joins virtually to discuss her book, The Story of a Heart (winner of the second Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction), exploring life-and-death medicine through the experiences of parents, doctors, donors, and children.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- Congregational Church
From mountain paths to ocean depths, Veruska De Vita (Deep Blue), Claudia Esnouf (Walk Like a Girl) and Melinda Ferguson (Swift) discuss how the wild heals, restores and reveals. They reflect on the empowering experience of being fully alive in nature, in conversation with Sara-Jayne Makwala King.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- Old School Hall
Long days and unexpected bonds. Dr Caitlin Venniker‘s life as a vet is anything but boring. In this heart-warming conversation with Karen Lane, Caitlin shares a candid and heartfelt look inside her memoir, Unleashed, and her life as a vet – where no two days are the same and every animal has a story.
- 11:30
- - 12:30
- Hospice House
Nozipho Tshabalala (After The Fires) speaks to Zahirah Marty to reflect on her memoir and the day her childhood changed forever. Now a high-performing, excellence-driven CEO, Nozipho shares her story of survival, identity, and the power of letting go.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- NG Church
From wisdom to rebellion, fathers shape us in unexpected ways. This conversation explores the lessons passed down – and the ones we choose to rewrite – as contributors to the book, Lessons From My Father, Gcina Mhlophe and Lindiwe Hani reflect on this impactful role with Craig Wilkinson, author of Force For Good.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- New School Hall
From lions and loony birds to the larger-than-life characters who roam the veld, David Bristow (Loony Birds, Lion Men and the Snake that Was a Gerbil), Françoise Malby-Anthony (Dining with Elephants), Don Pinnock (The Last Lions) and Tony Park (Die by the Sword) swap stories from the bush.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- Old School Hall
Lessons from the Springboks.
Behind the power plays, power players, and pressure moments lies a deeper playbook. PJ Claasen (The Bok Way) and Lester Kiewit look at what the Springboks have taught us about preparation, trust and collective strength.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- Church Hall
Take flight as Shamiso Banda and Alan Lee (Birds on the Brink) share breath-taking photography and personal stories from conservationists from across southern Africa working to save our precious natural heritage. Shamiso joins virtually.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- Congregational Church
What does it mean to live in your body rather than constantly manage it? Melinda Ferguson asks Michelle Roniak (Undone: Healing from Botched Plastic Surgery), author and founder of Dear Beloved Body, to reflect on our cultural fixation with appearance and perfection, and explore how we unlearn self-criticism and cultivate a more compassionate sense of self.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- Council Chambers
Julia Martin (On the Sponge Islands) sits down with Alex Dodd to share her exploration of the Greek Dodecanese, where the fading sponge trade, the legacies of war, and the fragile ecologies of island life reveal a story of impermanence and interdependence.
- 13:00
- - 14:00
- Hospice Hall
What is Breyten Breytenbach’s poetic legacy? His daughter Daphnée Breytenbach and his French translator Georges Lory join Catherine du Toit, head of the French department at Stellenbosch University, for a conversation on Breytenbach’s lasting influence on French and South African literature.
Only FLF 2025 Patrons can view
Members and public can view from 10 March 2025