Deon Maas: Witboy in Africa

The first time I met Deon Maas was at a media event in 2006.

He was very good friends with my then boss and I remember thinking what a presence he had. Maybe because I’ve never seen anyone over 40 years with earrings and tight jeans. I was in awe! Fast forward to 2010 and I was just as drawn to his book cover as I was to him many years ago. Funnily enough I didn’t even recognise his name when I picked up his book Witboy in Africa.

I could not put this book down. From the moment I opened the pages I was captured by his easy and pacey writing style. With pictures (see below) and illustrations on various pages, this book will teach anyone to survive in a foreign land. Based on his travels to Africa, Maas is no stranger to being caught in compromising situations and stuck with the dodgiest people.

It’s hard to believe that it only took him 12 DAYS to write!

Maas on Witboy in Africa

I like to travel and I like to tell stories.  When I like to travel and I like to tell stories.  When my friends started rolling their eyes after having heard a story for the umpteenth time I decided to stop telling stories and write a book.  That way they only had to read it once. 

Now you too can be privy to my drunken kitchen table story telling without having to deal with me directly, which I have been told is an acquired taste.  It includes some helpful travel tips like where to score weed in Kigali, how much is an acceptable road side bribe in Malawi, how to deal with a soldier wired on cocaine with a loaded AK-47 in war torn Congo, how to deflect three horny Frenchmen from your wife on a tropical island and how to deal with area boys in Lagos.  To the last one there is of course there is no real answer, except to warn them that you are from Johannesburg and not from London.

In the beginning I was wondering if I was ready for Africa, but soon realised that perhaps Africa wasn’t ready for me. In order for English-speaking people not to miss out on the fun, I also decided to make copies available in their own language.

Source: www.deonmaas.co.za

Maas is currently working on a South African movie called Punk in Africa.