WHERE TO FROM HERE, populism and coalition politics in South Africa

261pp., paperback, Jonathan Ball Publishers, Cape Town, 2026

ISBN: 9781776195602

In her analysis of contemporary South African politics Tara Roos examines the structural weaknesses, strategic miscalculations and political-party identity crises that have ushered in a new and unstable coalition era, arguing that the country has entered the age of uncertainty, with populism on the rise.

"Rigorously researched, this crisp summary of our recent politics by one of SA's rising stars offers a powerful - and sometimes scary - look into the future. Brilliant!" Justice Malala, author of We Have Now Begun Our Descent and The Plot to Save South Africa

"A bold, new voice offering refreshing insights into South Africa's present." Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, author of The New Apartheid

Tara Roos is a political analyst and the parliamentary correspondent for Business Day. A former parliamentary researcher, she runs the "Tara's Take" Subtrack newsletter, co-hosts "The Bill" podcast with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, and is the founder of SoWeVote and The Participation Project, dedicated to strengthening democratic engagement among young South Africans. Recognised in 2023 as one of the Mail & Guardian's Top 22 Young South Africans, she is a recipient of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation's Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award.