Realms and Roads

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit realmsandroads.substack.com With twenty thousand rand burning a hole in his pocket, Senzo Sedibeng is ready for his glow-up. After years of township hustling, he and his ever-nervous sidekick Vusi are going high-class—designer suits, a rented luxury car, and an attitude to match. Their mission: crash a charity gala and make Ayanda Zwane...

In this episode of Realms and Roads , Phoenix and Fidel unpack the madness of Chapter 3 of Love Back — where Senzo’s pursuit of Ayanda crosses from romantic to downright criminal. From stalking her online to stealing her handbag (and somehow making it sweet), Fidel reveals how humor keeps readers rooting for a con man with a broken heart. They dig into the novel’s growing web of schemes, from corp...

What happens when a teenage romantic becomes a grown-up con artist? In this episode of Realms and Roads , Phoenix sits down with author Fidel to unpack Chapter Two of Love Back — the chapter he calls the true start of the story. Fidel reveals how Senzo’s heartbreak has hardened into hustle, how a fake prophet scam inspired by The Daily Sun mirrors real survival in post-apartheid Johannesburg, and...

Chapter 2 of "Love Back". Fifteen years later, the orphan with big dreams is still hustling—only now he’s a fake prophet with dreadlocks, sunglasses, and a talent for bad decisions. Senzo claims he’s a success in Johannesburg, but the leaking roof and mattress on the floor say otherwise. With Vusi reluctantly playing sidekick, he cons the lovelorn out of cash—until a client walks in who changes ev...

First love never comes easy—especially when your rival is the biggest bully in the township. Senzo may be an orphan, but he’s never short on swagger. With his best friend Vusi as his cautious sidekick, he hustles essays, dodges trouble, and insists he’s destined for greatness. Then Ayanda Zwane walks into his classroom, and Senzo’s world tilts on its axis. One problem: Jasper Ndlovu, the local ter...

In this episode, we sit down with the author of Love Back to talk about Senzo—the dreamer, the hustler, and the protagonist of Love Back —and the vivid world he inhabits. From navigating first love to capturing the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation era, this conversation dives into balancing humor with hardship, ego with vulnerability, and flawed characters with unforgettable heart. Click her...

When prophecy awakens, bloodlines will be tested. The drought-stricken Dande Empire trembles under Emperor Chimedza’s failing rule as rebellion stirs and Nyatsimba’s Comet burns across the sky. Two warriors—loyal Banga wa Maideyi and ambitious Hondo wa Nebedza—journey to consult a banished Oracle, only to uncover a prophecy steeped in blood and betrayal. In the shadow of Shimbwe’s hill, monstrous...