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Migrations: Beneath a Baobab
From the moment the 1820 British Settlers arrived on the Eastern Frontier of the Cape Colony, throughout the Xhosa Wars, to the abolition of slavery and the local Boer population packing up and leaving in their droves in what was to become known as the Great Trek, the southern tip of Africa was in a state of turmoil.
The wild hinterlands beyond the borders, towards which the Voortrekkers pushed their wagons and worldly possessions, were even more unsettled. The Zulu Kingdom’s explosive expansion had resulted in the Mfecane, a displacement of people on a scale that has not been experienced in Southern Africa since. Thousands upon thousands of men, women and children, black and white, migrated in search of better lives, looking for new land to call their own and live in peace. Communities, tribes, kingdoms, and settlements rose and fell.
During this period, inspirational leaders stood tall, the names of whom are still remembered as the forefathers of many of Africa’s greatest tribes.
Through the eyes of four wanderers – William John Langford, the son of 1820 settlers; Marijke Pieterse, a Trekboer’s daughter from the Cape Colony; Sollie, a San tracker; and Zenzo Khumalo, a young Matabele general – we get a sense of what really happened back then. Unlikely alliances, love and friendships are forged amid the most extraordinary hardships during a time of devastation. From the ashes of this destruction, the green shoots of hope emerge.
This is their story. This is our history.
The wild hinterlands beyond the borders, towards which the Voortrekkers pushed their wagons and worldly possessions, were even more unsettled. The Zulu Kingdom’s explosive expansion had resulted in the Mfecane, a displacement of people on a scale that has not been experienced in Southern Africa since. Thousands upon thousands of men, women and children, black and white, migrated in search of better lives, looking for new land to call their own and live in peace. Communities, tribes, kingdoms, and settlements rose and fell.
During this period, inspirational leaders stood tall, the names of whom are still remembered as the forefathers of many of Africa’s greatest tribes.
Through the eyes of four wanderers – William John Langford, the son of 1820 settlers; Marijke Pieterse, a Trekboer’s daughter from the Cape Colony; Sollie, a San tracker; and Zenzo Khumalo, a young Matabele general – we get a sense of what really happened back then. Unlikely alliances, love and friendships are forged amid the most extraordinary hardships during a time of devastation. From the ashes of this destruction, the green shoots of hope emerge.
This is their story. This is our history.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2025
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May 22, 2026
Q&A published in The Herald - May 22, 2026
Former safari guide, Jake Hoddinott’s debut novel Migrations Beneath a Baobab has made waves as a historical epic set during the Great Trek.
With a foreword by Gary Player and praise for its cinematic storytelling, the book dives into themes of love, loyalty and survival as cultures collide in 1835 Southern Africa.
In this Q&A, Hoddinott shares the inspiration behind penning his first book, the real-world history that shaped his story, and what readers can expect from the upcoming sequel, The Rivers Beneath a Baobab, set for release later this year.
Q: What first sparked your interest in writing about the Great Trek and 1830s Southern Africa?
A: I have always had a keen interest in Southern Africa’s fascinating past, and no period epitomised this than the melting pot of the Mfecane, The Great Trek and the arrival of the 1820 settlers.
Q: As a former safari guide, how did your experiences in the bush shape the way you approached this novel?
A: I tried to capture the lands as it was back then, wild and raw. Having had the privilege of spending time in some of Africa’s pristine wilderness areas definitely shaped the scenes in my mind of what the land was like back then, long before tar roads, tap water, cellphones, internet, planes and motor vehicles.
Q: Why did you choose a 14-year-old orphan, William Langford, as your central character?
A: I wanted a main character whose life was about turning tragedy into triumph.
Overcoming a hard start in life is something I hope William’s character will inspire.
Q: How did living on a game reserve influence the atmosphere and authenticity of your storytelling?
A: I hope it does bring some authenticity to the reader’s visualisations of Africa.
I wanted to create a picture in the reader’s mind of how magnificent Africa’s natural heritage is.
Our parks and reserves are not too different from what the wilds were like back then.
Q: What role did your family play in supporting you through the writing of your debut?
A: Firstly, I set about writing this book because I wanted my children to understand where they come from and where we as South Africans come from.
My wife has always been my unshakable rock and motivator and without her giving me the time to get away and write along with all her proofreading of countless manuscripts — this would not have been possible.
Her grandmother, Vivienne, was also an incredible soul who made a major impression on me and who was the custodian of our family’s heritage.
I dedicated the book to her after she sadly passed away.
Q: What kind of research went into reconstructing the world of 1835 Cape Colony?
A: I have always enjoyed reading and have spent many hours trawling through history books, papers and articles trying to learn a bit more about what happened before us.
One thing that surprised me was how different the various interpretations of history are.
But the more I read and the more I took in, the clearer the picture became.
It’s like a blurry movie coming into focus.
Q: How did you balance historical accuracy with the demands of fiction and narrative drive?
A: It is tricky. By reading multiple accounts of what happened to ascertain the most likely way something unfolded was what I did first.
It is tough to make sure the right story gets told fairly and justly and any form of historical writing is based upon an author’s interpretation, so is somewhat subjective by nature.
Fortunately, the historical context was so rich it needed very little fiction to bring it to life.
I hope my account of it has done those that have walked before us justice.
Q: Were there any surprising discoveries about the Matabele or Trekboers that changed the direction of your story?
A: Definitely. There were many. The fact that Mzilikazi and a missionary named Robert Moffat became good friends.
Or the interactions and alliances between the Boers during the Great Trek and the tribes was not all battles.
They fought side by side in many instances.
Q: How do you hope readers unfamiliar with South African history will connect with this period?
A: I hope they get a sense of what we have gone through and what we have overcome to become the nation we are today. It’s about triumph over tragedy.
Q: Do you see parallels between the migrations of the 19th century and modern global movements today?
A: Yes. As always, history tends to repeat itself.
A positive take is that it’s during the hardest of times that the true heroes of a generation come to the fore.
We need them more than ever in the world today …
Q: The novel explores love, loyalty, and survival — why were these themes central to you?
A: These themes that are integral to my life. Love is what makes us human.
It’s the universal language and something that every one of us can associate with.
Loyalty is what binds us as families, lovers, clans, tribes, nations and people. And learning to survive is what we all have to do in different doses.
Q: Zenzo Khumalo is a fascinating character; what inspired his creation?
A: Zenzo was the opposing cultural perspective I wanted to bounce William’s character off.
He is the embodiment of the ultimate warrior, yet he too has weaknesses and a softer side. And his life followed a similar path to William’s.
Q: How do you portray cultural collision without reducing it to simple conflict?
A: By showing rather than telling!
Q: What does the baobab tree symbolise for you in the series?
A: The great tree in the Beneath a Baobab series is a thread that weaves the lives of all the characters in this and upcoming books together.
This particular tree was an easy choice. Not only is a Baobab simply colossal and awe-inspiring but it is as old as the land itself.
The older Baobabs have stood for 2,000 years or more and are sacred to many cultures. For me, the tree represents life itself.
Q: How do you hope readers will respond to William and Zenzo’s unlikely alliance?
A: I think people from different cultural and religious backgrounds will realise we are all more similar than we are led to believe.
Q: How did the collaboration with Southern Right Publishers come about?
A: The search for a publisher is like searching for a foot that fits a glass shoe. When you find it you know.
I was put in touch with Southern Right Publishers by another author who recommended they would be a good fit for these books.
David Bristow brought an incredibly deep knowledge and understanding of our history to the table along with the literary skill and calming influence of Monty Roodt.
The fact that they are successful authors themselves spoke volumes — they have walked this path themselves.
Q: Gary Player wrote the foreword — what was it like to have a sporting legend endorse your work?
A: Very few people epitomise overcoming tragedy and turning it into triumph as Gary Player.
He is an inspiration to many around the world and it was an honour to have him write the foreword to Migrations Beneath a Baobab.
Q: What has been the most rewarding feedback you’ve received since the book’s release?
A: When people say to me — “I never realised that ... ” or “I never knew this happened.”
Q: As a debut author, what challenges did you face in bringing this manuscript to publication?
A: All I can say is that it is a thoroughly rewarding process but should not be underestimated.
Writing a book is a mammoth process. The actual writing is the easy part and only the first step in having it published and circulated.
Finding a publisher is exhausting, filled with lots of rejection but eventually you find the “one”, then the many rounds of editing a manuscript can be extremely taxing, and finally the marketing and getting publicity for a book is critical.
But when you get to hold the first copy in your hands — its all worth it!
Q: With The Rivers Beneath a Baobab launching in October, what can readers expect from the continuation of the series and how many more books in the series can readers look forward to?
A: The story moves into Natalia where William is drawn into the initial Boer wars with the Zulu and the British.
He then moves into the Lowveld in what is present day Mozambique and meets some incredible real-life characters along the way.
Various forces keep pulling him and Marijke apart.
Q: How can readers follow you on social media?
A: I am on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn but am notoriously slow on these platforms.
I have however made a promise to my wife to improve my social media game!
InstA: @jakehoddinott
Facebook: Jake Hoddinott
LinkedIn: Jake Hoddinott
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell us?
A: In a country as vibrantly diverse as SA, it’s worth knowing where we all come from.
Understanding how we got here helps understand why things are the way they are.
Former safari guide, Jake Hoddinott’s debut novel Migrations Beneath a Baobab has made waves as a historical epic set during the Great Trek.
With a foreword by Gary Player and praise for its cinematic storytelling, the book dives into themes of love, loyalty and survival as cultures collide in 1835 Southern Africa.
In this Q&A, Hoddinott shares the inspiration behind penning his first book, the real-world history that shaped his story, and what readers can expect from the upcoming sequel, The Rivers Beneath a Baobab, set for release later this year.
Q: What first sparked your interest in writing about the Great Trek and 1830s Southern Africa?
A: I have always had a keen interest in Southern Africa’s fascinating past, and no period epitomised this than the melting pot of the Mfecane, The Great Trek and the arrival of the 1820 settlers.
Q: As a former safari guide, how did your experiences in the bush shape the way you approached this novel?
A: I tried to capture the lands as it was back then, wild and raw. Having had the privilege of spending time in some of Africa’s pristine wilderness areas definitely shaped the scenes in my mind of what the land was like back then, long before tar roads, tap water, cellphones, internet, planes and motor vehicles.
Q: Why did you choose a 14-year-old orphan, William Langford, as your central character?
A: I wanted a main character whose life was about turning tragedy into triumph.
Overcoming a hard start in life is something I hope William’s character will inspire.
Q: How did living on a game reserve influence the atmosphere and authenticity of your storytelling?
A: I hope it does bring some authenticity to the reader’s visualisations of Africa.
I wanted to create a picture in the reader’s mind of how magnificent Africa’s natural heritage is.
Our parks and reserves are not too different from what the wilds were like back then.
Q: What role did your family play in supporting you through the writing of your debut?
A: Firstly, I set about writing this book because I wanted my children to understand where they come from and where we as South Africans come from.
My wife has always been my unshakable rock and motivator and without her giving me the time to get away and write along with all her proofreading of countless manuscripts — this would not have been possible.
Her grandmother, Vivienne, was also an incredible soul who made a major impression on me and who was the custodian of our family’s heritage.
I dedicated the book to her after she sadly passed away.
Q: What kind of research went into reconstructing the world of 1835 Cape Colony?
A: I have always enjoyed reading and have spent many hours trawling through history books, papers and articles trying to learn a bit more about what happened before us.
One thing that surprised me was how different the various interpretations of history are.
But the more I read and the more I took in, the clearer the picture became.
It’s like a blurry movie coming into focus.
Q: How did you balance historical accuracy with the demands of fiction and narrative drive?
A: It is tricky. By reading multiple accounts of what happened to ascertain the most likely way something unfolded was what I did first.
It is tough to make sure the right story gets told fairly and justly and any form of historical writing is based upon an author’s interpretation, so is somewhat subjective by nature.
Fortunately, the historical context was so rich it needed very little fiction to bring it to life.
I hope my account of it has done those that have walked before us justice.
Q: Were there any surprising discoveries about the Matabele or Trekboers that changed the direction of your story?
A: Definitely. There were many. The fact that Mzilikazi and a missionary named Robert Moffat became good friends.
Or the interactions and alliances between the Boers during the Great Trek and the tribes was not all battles.
They fought side by side in many instances.
Q: How do you hope readers unfamiliar with South African history will connect with this period?
A: I hope they get a sense of what we have gone through and what we have overcome to become the nation we are today. It’s about triumph over tragedy.
Q: Do you see parallels between the migrations of the 19th century and modern global movements today?
A: Yes. As always, history tends to repeat itself.
A positive take is that it’s during the hardest of times that the true heroes of a generation come to the fore.
We need them more than ever in the world today …
Q: The novel explores love, loyalty, and survival — why were these themes central to you?
A: These themes that are integral to my life. Love is what makes us human.
It’s the universal language and something that every one of us can associate with.
Loyalty is what binds us as families, lovers, clans, tribes, nations and people. And learning to survive is what we all have to do in different doses.
Q: Zenzo Khumalo is a fascinating character; what inspired his creation?
A: Zenzo was the opposing cultural perspective I wanted to bounce William’s character off.
He is the embodiment of the ultimate warrior, yet he too has weaknesses and a softer side. And his life followed a similar path to William’s.
Q: How do you portray cultural collision without reducing it to simple conflict?
A: By showing rather than telling!
Q: What does the baobab tree symbolise for you in the series?
A: The great tree in the Beneath a Baobab series is a thread that weaves the lives of all the characters in this and upcoming books together.
This particular tree was an easy choice. Not only is a Baobab simply colossal and awe-inspiring but it is as old as the land itself.
The older Baobabs have stood for 2,000 years or more and are sacred to many cultures. For me, the tree represents life itself.
Q: How do you hope readers will respond to William and Zenzo’s unlikely alliance?
A: I think people from different cultural and religious backgrounds will realise we are all more similar than we are led to believe.
Q: How did the collaboration with Southern Right Publishers come about?
A: The search for a publisher is like searching for a foot that fits a glass shoe. When you find it you know.
I was put in touch with Southern Right Publishers by another author who recommended they would be a good fit for these books.
David Bristow brought an incredibly deep knowledge and understanding of our history to the table along with the literary skill and calming influence of Monty Roodt.
The fact that they are successful authors themselves spoke volumes — they have walked this path themselves.
Q: Gary Player wrote the foreword — what was it like to have a sporting legend endorse your work?
A: Very few people epitomise overcoming tragedy and turning it into triumph as Gary Player.
He is an inspiration to many around the world and it was an honour to have him write the foreword to Migrations Beneath a Baobab.
Q: What has been the most rewarding feedback you’ve received since the book’s release?
A: When people say to me — “I never realised that ... ” or “I never knew this happened.”
Q: As a debut author, what challenges did you face in bringing this manuscript to publication?
A: All I can say is that it is a thoroughly rewarding process but should not be underestimated.
Writing a book is a mammoth process. The actual writing is the easy part and only the first step in having it published and circulated.
Finding a publisher is exhausting, filled with lots of rejection but eventually you find the “one”, then the many rounds of editing a manuscript can be extremely taxing, and finally the marketing and getting publicity for a book is critical.
But when you get to hold the first copy in your hands — its all worth it!
Q: With The Rivers Beneath a Baobab launching in October, what can readers expect from the continuation of the series and how many more books in the series can readers look forward to?
A: The story moves into Natalia where William is drawn into the initial Boer wars with the Zulu and the British.
He then moves into the Lowveld in what is present day Mozambique and meets some incredible real-life characters along the way.
Various forces keep pulling him and Marijke apart.
Q: How can readers follow you on social media?
A: I am on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn but am notoriously slow on these platforms.
I have however made a promise to my wife to improve my social media game!
InstA: @jakehoddinott
Facebook: Jake Hoddinott
LinkedIn: Jake Hoddinott
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell us?
A: In a country as vibrantly diverse as SA, it’s worth knowing where we all come from.
Understanding how we got here helps understand why things are the way they are.
Displaying 1 of 1 review