URBAN DOLL FACTORY

Johannesburg, I’m coming to you. ❤️📚

This Saturday, 29 August, I’ll be joining the Afrokulcha Thursday Club for a special Bookish Thursday Women’s Month Special Edition, where I’ll be in conversation about my book, The Smallest Ones.

This is more than a conversation about a book. It’s an opportunity to talk about womanhood, memory, identity, resilience, and the stories we carry with us — and to share the journey behind The Smallest Ones.

I would absolutely love to see you there. Come meet me, hear the story behind the story, and let’s have a meaningful conversation together. ❤️

📍 Venue: Difating African Cuisine
📅 Date: Saturday, 29 August 2026
⏰ Time: 14:00–20:00
🎙️ In conversation with: Popina Khumanda, Author of The Smallest Ones
✨ Hosted by: Afro • Reads

For more information:
Ntuli — 082 356 0570

Johannesburg, come through. Let’s talk books. Let’s talk women. Let’s talk stories. 📖✨

Just a cool kid taking a selfie 🤳

Freedom is not only escaping the place that tried to break you it is having the courage to rebuild your life, pursue education, and become the person you were always meant to be.

But I have learned that freedom is not a destination you arrive at once and for all. As long as we live, we are continually fighting for it—through the choices we make, the dreams we refuse to abandon, the knowledge we seek, the dignity we protect, and the hope we choose to carry despite life’s hardships. Every new challenge asks us to reclaim our freedom in a different way.

If my story gives even one person the strength to believe that their past does not define their future, then every painful step of my journey was worth it.

Despite all the campaigns against gender-based violence, the war on women continues to rage. What is wrong with our society, and how can writing bear witness, challenge us and bring about change? Join Joy Watson (𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶), Popina Khumanda (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘴), Ashraf Kagee (𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭), and Mzamo Masito (𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘺𝘴) as they talk with Jonathan Amid about their books that deal with gender and violence.

In collaboration with Jacana Media, Jonathan Ball Publishers Local, Penguin Random House SA & Tracey McDonald Publishers.

👤 With Joy Watson, Popina Khumanda, Ashraf Kagee, Mzamo Masito & Jonathan Amid
⏰ 2 May 12:30

🔗 Visit www.suidoosterfees.com for the festival programme.
🎟️ Book your free ticket at Webtickets.

The 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 are presented by the Jakes Gerwel Foundation,ATKV & Netwerk24.

Smile 90.4FM – the official radio station of Suidoosterfees.

Popina Khumanda’s Memoir The Smallest Ones Expands to Sweden, Reaching New International Audience

Cape Town, South Africa — Author and speaker Popina Khumanda continues to make global strides as her powerful memoir, The Smallest Ones: Two Sisters’ Escape from DRC Rebels and Their Pursuit of Freedom, is now available in Sweden through leading online bookstore Bokus.

This international release marks a significant milestone in Khumanda’s journey, bringing her deeply personal and courageous story to a broader European audience. The book recounts her lived experience of surviving captivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, escaping against all odds, and rebuilding her life through resilience, education, and purpose.

“The expansion into Sweden is more than a distribution milestone — it’s an opportunity for new readers to engage with a story of survival, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit,” says Khumanda.

Since its release, The Smallest Ones has resonated with readers for its raw honesty and inspiring message, positioning Khumanda as an emerging global voice on resilience, displacement, and overcoming adversity.

With growing international recognition, Khumanda continues to use her platform to inspire, educate, and advocate for those whose voices often go unheard.

About the Author
Popina Khumanda is a Congolese-born author, speaker, and advocate currently based in South Africa. Despite early life adversity, she has built a career in technology and storytelling, using her experiences to empower others and spark meaningful conversations worldwide.

Availability
The Smallest Ones is now available for purchase in Sweden via Bokus.

✨ Excited to announce that I’ll be at the Books on the Bay Festival in Simon’s Town on 14 March! ✨

Simon’s Town is such a magical place, and I can’t wait to soak it all in. Come join me for a chat where we’ll explore ideas on nurturing, inspiring, and empowering the smallest ones in our lives the children who will shape our future.

💛📚

Let’s imagine, inspire, and celebrate their magic together!

The Smallest Ones is proof that significance has nothing to do with size.

AVAILABLE

In the DRC, there are children with bright eyes and buried dreams.
Education is not just a classroom it is a doorway back to hope.
When we give a child the chance to learn, we give them permission to dream again.
This book is for them. 📖✨

Popina Khumanda was five years old when a group of strangers invaded her village, bringing fire and death and terror that a young girl should never imagine. The Smallest Ones is a harrowing and powerful true story of survival and resilience in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 2000s.

BOOK AVAILABLE AT YOUR NEAREST

Popina Khumanda was five years old when a group of strangers invaded her village, bringing fire and death and terror that a young girl should never imagine. The Smallest Ones is a harrowing and powerful true story of survival and resilience in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 2000s.