Stories in a Bellville Taxi, written by dr. Jacob Cloete, has been translated from Afrikaans into English.
South African commuters know that a taxi ride is never just about getting from point A to point B. It’s a theatre of voices, a melting pot of stories, and sometimes, a comedy show on wheels. Dr Jacob Cloete, a political scientist from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) turned storyteller, has captured this vibrant slice of life in his latest book, Stories in a Bellville Taxi.
Dr Cloete, who hails from Namaqualand and works at the University, has long been immersed in the serious world of governance and democracy. His earlier academic work dissected political systems with precision, offering insights into policy and power. But with Stories in a Bellville Taxi, he trades his day-to-day work for the backseat of a minibus, swapping scholarly analysis for the raw, unfiltered voices of everyday South Africans.
“This book was inspired by and written for my son.He started high school in 2025 and decided to take up drama, and for this, he needed stories — stories that he, his family, his community, and I can relate to. It was for this reason that I began writing Stories in a Bellville Taxi,” Dr Cloete explained.
