summary of journey to jo'burg

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Journey to Jo'burg

The background of the story is South Africa during the apartheid years. Two young children are travelling alone to Jo’burg to try to find their mother who is needed back in the family village.

The background of the story is South Africa during the apartheid years. Two young children are travelling alone to Jo’burg to try to find their mother who is needed back in the family village. Beverley Naidoo's compelling story is the first in a new series of BritLit resources kits, 'Open Book', which works with longer stories.  

• Journey to Jo'burg text
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• Answer key - teacher's notes for activities
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Beautifully and feelingly read. The pre-reading exercise engages academic curiosity and creativity in students.

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Journey to Jo’burg

The sun rose higher. on they walked. the heat sank into them and they felt the sweat on their bodies. on they walked. alone again….

Another baby has died in the village and Naledi knows that her little sister Dineo might die too. But what can she do? Their grandmother has no money and there are no doctors in their village. So Naledi makes up her mind. She will have to get Mma who works more than 300 kilometres away in Johannesburg. The only way to let her know was to get to the big road and walk. So Naledi and her brother Tiro did just that…

Banned by the apartheid government in South Africa, this is the story of two children’s courage and determination to find their mother and bring her home.

Beverley Naidoo writes: When I sent two copies of my first children’s book to nephews and nieces in South Africa in 1985, they never received the parcel. Instead, my sister-in-law received a letter telling her that the books had been seized and banned . However Journey to Jo’burg soon found its way into many different countries, in English and in translations, so that hundreds of thousands of children elsewhere were soon reading it. It was only after the release of Nelson Mandela from jail that the book was unbanned.

…the more searing for its gentleness. – The Guardian, UK

…so simple and straightforward that it makes accessible even to quite young children the difficult and the profound. –Times Educational Supplement, UK

… with a wealth to share, this well-written piece has no equal. –(Starred review) School Library Journal, USA

A provocative, eloquent story about the human spirit. –Publishers Weekly, USA

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Book Review

Journey to jo’burg: a south african story.

• Beverly Naidoo
• Coming-of-Age , Drama , Historical

Readability Age Range

• HarperCollins
• Josette Frank Award (Bank Street Children's Book Award), 1986; New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing"

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Thirteen-year-old Naledi lives with Nono (her grandmother), Tiro (her brother), and Dineo (her baby sister) in a small South African village 300 kilometers from Johannesburg. After her father’s death, her mother, Mma, has had to work in Johannesburg for money for the family.

One day, Dineo becomes sick. Naledi is afraid Dineo is dying. Nono and Mmangwane (her aunt) try to help Dineo, but nothing works. Naledi coerces her 9-year-old brother to walk to Johannesburg with her to tell Mma.

Before they leave, Naledi’s friend Poleng gives them sweet potatoes to eat on their trip. She also agrees to tell Nono where they’ve gone once they’re safely away. Naledi and Tiro don’t want Nono and Mmangwane to be angry with them or keep them from going.

The siblings walk alongside a lesser-traveled road. When they come to another village, they walk quickly so as to not attract the attention of the police because policemen in this area are often corrupt.

Outside of the village, they meet a boy who works in an orange orchard. He lets them eat a few oranges and hides them in a shed for the night. They leave early the next morning so as not to anger the orchard’s owner.

The next day, a driver with oranges in his truck gives them a ride to Johannesburg. He also gives them money to take a bus to the area where their mother works. After accidentally trying to board a whites-only bus, the siblings find the right bus and meet a young woman named Grace.

Grace helps them find their mother’s workplace and offers them a place to spend the night in Soweto. When Naledi and Tiro find their mother, they learn she is a maid for a wealthy white family. Their mother is able to get time off, beginning the next day, to take her children home and help Dineo.

That night, Naledi and Tiro travel toward Grace’s home by train. At one stop, the kids are pushed off the train by the exiting crowd and are separated from Grace. On the train platform, there is a surprise pass raid by the police. Adults without passes are taken to jail. Naledi and Tiro are not arrested because they are not yet 16, the age when a pass is needed. Soon after, Grace finds them, and the three complete their journey to Soweto.

At Grace’s house in Soweto, Naledi learns about the Soweto riots. Thousands of school children demonstrated against what they were being taught in their schools. Their subjects were cleaning, washing, cooking and gardening. Their schools trained them to be servants. When they demonstrated, the police shot many of them. Some died, some were wounded, and some were arrested. There also was tear gas, and many public buildings were burned. Grace’s brother eventually left South Africa for an education. He hopes to return to fight for their freedom.

The next day, Naledi and Tiro travel with Mma by train to their village. At Naledi’s asking, Mma tells how hard her life is. Once in the village, Nono watches Tiro, and Mma and Naledi take Dineo to the hospital. They must wait all day to see the doctor. After Dineo is kept in the hospital for three days, Mma is able to take her home.

The next day, Mma must return to Johannesburg to work for all the money she just spent. Meanwhile, Naledi realizes that she wants to be more than someone’s servant. She wants to be a doctor and intends to take steps toward a better future.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems, authority roles.

Nono and Mmangwane watch and care for Naledi and Tiro. They do everything they know how to do to keep Dineo alive. Nono was the caretaker for Naledi and Tiro, but they didn’t tell her about their travel plans. They thought she would be cross with them. It is apparent she loves her grandchildren though, through the worry on her face when Naledi and Tiro return and her relief when Dineo is healed. Mma is kind and loving. She does not like being away from her children but must work in Johannesburg to provide money for food, clothing and an education after their father died. Their father, when he was alive, only visited the family once a year because he worked in the mines. Both the truck driver and Grace take responsibility for the children’s well being once they come in contact with them.

Profanity & Violence

Although not graphic, descriptions are given about schoolchildren who were beaten, shot and tear gassed, and a few who died in Soweto.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Racism: South Africa, at this time, had a system set up through legislation to keep its society racially segregated. The majority of people in South Africa were black, but they were treated as second-rate citizens who couldn’t aspire to more than being the servants of those in power.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Journey to Jo’burg: A South African Story

Book — Fiction. By Beverley Naidoo, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 1988. 96 pages. A brother and sister take their sick sibling to the city of Johannesburg to get their mother at work, and come to understand the struggle for freedom and dignity taking place in South Africa.

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Written from an African point of view, this novel describes the conditions many African children face in South Africa. The central character is a 13-year-old African girl, Naledi. She, her nine-year-old brother, and baby sister live with their aunt and grandmother in one of South Africa’s infamous black “homelands.” When Naledi’s sister falls ill, Naledi and her younger brother set out on foot for Johannesburg to fetch their mother who works for a white family.

ISBN: 9780064402378 | HarperCollins

Related Resources

Chain of Fire

Book — Fiction. By Beverley Naidoo, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. 1993. 256 pages. When the South African government forces a village to relocate, young protesters, who do not have the freedom of speech, organize a march against apartheid.

Strangers In Their Own Country: A Curriculum Guide on South Africa

Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 1985. Lessons on apartheid in South Africa and the global anti-apartheid movement.

Sun City – A Teaching Guide

Teaching Guide. By Bill Bigelow. 6 pages. Lessons to accompany the 1985 video “Sun City” that promoted the cultural boycott of South Africa initiated by Little Steven van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E St. Band.

Journey to Jo'burg

A south african story, by beverley naidoo.

• ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.88 ·
• 135 Want to read
• 15 Currently reading
• 13 Have read

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“Has no equal. Evocative and haunting.” (School Library Journal starred review)

The bestselling classic set in South Africa during the apartheid era, in which two siblings must face the dangers of their divided country.

Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, call home. When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know that they need to bring their mother back in order to save their sister’s life. Bravely, secretly, they set off on the long journey to the big city to find Mma.

It isn’t until they finally reach Jo’burg that they see up close what life is like for black citizens across South Africa—and begin to really question the unfair and dangerous laws of apartheid.

A classic look at prejudice and racism in apartheid South Africa, this short and compelling novel is perfect for independent reading projects and classroom sharing.

Previews available in: English

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Journey to Jo’burg

Section 1: Chapters 1-3

• blunt : having a thick edge or point, not sharp; saying or expressing something in a very direct way that may upset some people
• kilometer : a unit of length equal to 1,000 meters
• reassure : to make someone feel less afraid, upset, or doubtful
• retort : to answer an argument by a counter argument; to answer back sharply
• tap : a plug for a hole; a device consisting or a spout and valve attached to the end of a pipe to control the flow of a fluid, a faucet
• term : a word or phrase that has an exact meaning; the length of time during which a person has an official or political office

Vocabulary Sentences

• While driving around Ireland, we saw a sign indicating that the historic church was 30 kilometers away.
• The President of the United States decided to campaign for a second term in office.
• The school teacher smiled and reassured the students that there would be no pop quiz this week.
• Jan seemed to frequently have a retort when her mother asked her to wash the dishes.
• The tap water left a bad taste in my mouth.

Comprehension Questions

• Granny says the hospital is too far away and they don’t have money to pay a doctor. (pg. 1)
• Naledi and Tiro walk to the village with empty buckets to buy water every day. (pg. 2)
• The children try to avoid looking at the place of graves on their way to the village. (pg. 2)
• Naledi plans to walk to Johannesburg to ask their mother for helpg. (pg. 2)
• The walk to Johannesburg is 300 kilometers. (pg. 2)
• Naledi and Tiro want to avoid the police because they didn’t have a pass. (pg. 8)
• Naledi and Tiro could have been shot by the farmer if he had caught them taking the orange. (pg. 11)
• A boy from the farm takes the children to a shed to sleep in and also gives them some food. (pg. 14)
• Naledi and Tiro bury the orange peels in the dirt in order to hide the fact that they have eaten oranges. (pg. 14)
• The boys give Naledi and Tiro a little pap to eat. (pg.14)
• “Sala sentle” means stay well, and “Tsamaya settle” means go well. Both are expressions of farewell in the Tswana language. (pg. 77)

Section 2: Chapters 4-7

• heave : to lift, pull, or throw something with effort; to breathe in and out in a slow or loud way
• inconvenient : causing trouble or problems; not convenient
• lorry : a large, heavy motor vehicle for transporting goods or troops; a truck
• pavement : the hard surface of a road, driveway, etc.
• steer : an ox less than four years old; to be moved or guided in a particular direction or along a particular course
• windscreen : a screen that protects against the wind; British term for windshield
• Marty heaved a sigh of relief after reading the acceptance letter from the university.
• It was inconvenient for Amy to take her sister to school, since she was already late for her dental appointment.
• Mia’s feet burned as she ran across the hot pavement .
• The lorry broke down in the middle of the road and caused a huge traffic jam.
• The dirty windscreen made it difficult to see the road clearly.
• Naledi and Tiro have their first ride in a truck on the second day of their journey. (pg. 19)
• As the children get closer to Joannesburg, the land is no longer flat but has mountains with steep rocks and crags. (pg. 19-20)
• The children hope to find their Mma in Parktown. (pg. 20)
• Mma works so far from home so that she can pay to send them to school. (pg. 20)
• The children act oddly because their father worked in a mine, got a coughing sickness, and then died there. (pg. 22)
• The truck driver gives them money and shows them where to catch the bus. (pg. 23)
• The children make the mistake of trying to get on a bus that is only for white people. (pg. 25-26)
• The children have not thought about their little sister all day because so much had happened all day. (pg. 28)
• Mma can’t leave for home immediately because she needs to stay with Belinda so Madam and the Master can go to a dinner party. (pg. 30-32)
• Naledi notices Mama uses tin plates and mugs for them to use, instead of the glistening plates and delicate glasses. (pg. 32-33)
• The Madam says the children can’t spend the night in Parktown because the police won’t like it. (pg. 33)

Section 3: Chapters 8-11

• carriage : a large vehicle with four wheels that is pulled by a horse and also carries people; a separate section of a train
• dustbin : a can for trash or garbage
• freedom : the quality or state of being free; liberation from slavery or restraint from the power of another
• hurl : to throw something with force; to say or should an insult in a loud and forceful way
• rubbish : things that are no longer useful or wanted and have been thrown out; words or ideas that are foolish or untrue; something that is worthless, unimportant, or of poor quality
• surge : to move very quickly and suddenly in a particular direction
• Ivan loved to hurl snowballs at his big brother.
• Jade was thrilled to find her lost earring after mistakenly sweeping it into the dustbin.
• William thought his essay was rubbish since he did not get the top grade in the class.
• The American flag is a beautiful symbol of freedom.
• Lola felt a surge of excitement and fear as she waited in line for the giant roller coaster.
• The children become separated from Grace when they are pushed out by a crowd of people getting off the train. (pg. 36)
• There is a pass raid by the police and people begin running away from the police. (pg. 37)
• The children go to the man’s house and his son runs to take the pass to him. (pg. 39-40)
• The boy threatens to burn the pass one day. (pg. 40)
• Jonas and Paul are curious about where Naledi and Tiro are from because they have never been anywhere except Johannesburg. (pg. 43)
• Grace’s older brother Dumi was picked up by the police in 1976, when students were marching and the place was on fire. (pg. 44)
• Grace called the student demonstration a “time of fire.” (pg. 45)
• The police began shooting and killing whoever was in their way. (pg. 46)
• Dumi was studying in another country and he was planning to come back in order to fight for freedom. (pg. 46-48)
• Naledi and Tiro hope to see the orange farm where they had spent the night. (pg. 51)
• Mma becomes quiet and is thinking about how to respond to Naledi’s question about the student demonstration in Soweto. (pg. 52)

Section 4: Chapters 12-15

• anxious : causing or showing fear or nervousness
• banknote : a promissory note issued by a bank payable to bearer on demand without interest and acceptable as money
• cluster : a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together; to be or come into a cluster or close group; congregate
• corridor : a long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms
• queue : a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed
• vague : not clearly expressed; stated in indefinite terms
• veranda : a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor; a porch
• Omar began to feel anxious about the spelling test since he had not taken much time to study for it.
• Ellie enjoyed sitting on the veranda with her grandmother, just chatting and sipping ice tea.
• George gave his mother a vague response when she asked how his day at school went.
• A cluster of homes had been severely damaged by the horrific storm.
• Jill walked down the long hospital corridor before meeting her new baby sister.
• Naledi assumes her mother has borrowed money when she sees the banknotes in her hand. (pg. 56)
• When Mma and Naledi arrive at the hospital, they see people sitting and lying around the buildings, and a queue of patients lined up to see a woman at the desk. (pg. 58)
• Naledi realizes that there are even more people waiting for help inside the hospital. (pg. 59)
• Mma and the young mother think their babies need more milk. (pg. 60)
• Mma and Naledi share their food with the young mother. (pg. 63)
• Naledi witnesses the young mother sobbing because her baby had died. (pg. 63)
• Naledi encourages her mother by linking arms with her, letting her know that at least they have each other. (pg. 64)
• In normal circumstances, a visit from Mma was filled with hugs, presents, and Mma helping Nono and listening to the children’s stories. (pg. 66-67)
• Mma has to return to the city as soon as Dineo is home from the hospital because she is losing pay. (pg. 70)
• Naledi can’t imagine Grace crying, and also remembers that Grace has to look after her younger brothers and the house by herself most of the time. (pg. 71)
• Naledi realizes that all her school lessons have been about how to be a good servant, but she wants to become a doctor. (pg. 72)

Book Review on Journey to Jo’burg Reviewed by Kainan, 11, London, ENG, UK

ALL STUDENT WORK BELOW IS ORIGINAL AND UNEDITED

Journey to jo’burg by beverley naidoo.

This book is about two, brave, black South African children, Naledi and Tiro, who courageously traveled 300km to Johannesburg (Jo’burg) to tell their mother that their little sister (Deneo) was very ill.

Naledi (13) and Tiro (9) live in a village mainly with their grandma and their younger sister, Deneo. Their mother works as a maid to a rich white family in Jo’burg and their father who had been gold miner, passed away from ill health.

Even though Naledi and Tiro were poor, they seemed protected enough to be clueless about the risks and dangers that black people faced outside of their village. As they set off on their journey, they were faced with many dangers. Each time they encountered a potential danger from a powerful white person, they met a kind black person who rescued them. For example, the young black boy at the orange farm helped them find food and shelter overnight on the road: the truck driver who gave them a lift 250km to Jo’burg and Grace, who helped them get on the right bus, find their mum’s address as well as offered them a place to stay in Jo’burg.

What was interesting to observe was that even though these kind people were strangers, they all immediately acted like family towards the children. I believe it’s because they felt connected to the same plight; that is, victims against one common enemy: apartheid.

The children eventually found their mum. They were surprised to see how she lived as a maid. They were also surprised to learn how much their mother knew about the brave students like Grace’s brother Dumi who had protested against the ugliness of apartheid. Dumi and a large group of young children/students some of whom had lost their lives, were fighting for freedom and for an education that did not only lead becoming servants.

When Naledi and Tiro finally brought their mum home from jo burg, their troubles weren’t immediately over. Their sister got sicker which exposed them to the wider injustice that poor black people experienced even in their home town.

I found this book very enlightening as it really me showed me the details of how racism works. i also liked that the lead characters though naive weren’t passive. Black people were shown to be kind, dignified, aware of the unfairness round them even if they were poor. i really liked the description of Dumi’s character and the 16 year old boy who was arrested on the streets for not having a pass: ‘he had fire in his eyes.”

However, what I didn’t like about the book were sad parts like children dying unnecessarily from poor health care. I also felt angry to learn of black people being treated so badly in their own country. I can’t imagine someone walking into my house, seizing all my toys, my food and forcing my family and I to become servants to them in my own home. To think this was allowed to happen immediately after the holocaust and WW11?

I learnt that this book was banned in South Africa when it was first released in 1985. I have added respect for Beverley Naidoo, the author, a white, South African of Jewish heritage who had the courage to draw from her past experience to shed light on the difficulties of black people during apartheid South Africa.

I would highly recommend this book to children between the ages 8-12 years who want to learn more about racism through the eyes of children.

1 thought on “Review on “‘Journey to Jo’burg’ ””

This is a beautifully written and insightful review. It’s both reflective and illuminating about the courage of these youngsters who were compelled to make an arduous journey. You peaked my interest even more with your comparative but sad interplay of two major human tragedies of the 20th century: apartheid; and the holocaust.

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Home / Find a book / Journey to Jo'Burg (HarperCollins Children's Modern Classics)

Journey to Jo'Burg (HarperCollins Children's Modern Classics)

By Beverley Naidoo

This is the story of love, commitment and the flowering of the human spirit against the background of South Africa’s apartheid.

A simple introduction to Apartheid. Naledi lives in a village with her grandparents while her mother lives and works for a white lady in Johannesburg. Naledi has been slightly sheltered from Apartheid but when her baby sister gets sick, she and her brother make a risky journey to the city to get their mother to come home. While there, they start noticing the segregation and this makes them start to question things. Aimed at 9+

South African

It’s very good book about two children to save their baby sister who is sick. I really enjoyed reading it.

an interesting touching book....sometimes hard to understand though...

I would recommed it to someone who likes sad stories. It is is fiction . My favouite part is when Mma took Dineo to the hospital to get medicine. My favourite person is Grace because she helped Naledi and Tiro.

An interesting look into that time period. It was a lot shorter than I expected

I loved the direct voice, asking questions if the reader, the beautiful telling of a sad story.

This book was about refugees on a journey to Jo’burg. It has old language but tells you what it means. Really great book! Would recommend it to people who like old and adventurous stories.

I adored this book it was filled of emotion even if some of them were not happy ones. I grew to love the characters and everything about them. The actual journey was brilliant and thoughtful. I would definitely recommend this to any mature thoughtful and friendly people who want to help others.

My favourite was Naledi because she had the determination to travel 300km to Johannesburg to get mma so she could help Dineo survive. I like the book although i am sad back then they had discrimination but Naledi still was able to get mma by the help of Grace. I would recommend it to other people so they can be inspired like me never give up if you are struggling.

I enjoyed it!

this really interested me because it actually tells a real story that tells me a lot about the behaviour of white people to black people before.

I wanted to learn more about the apartheid in South Africa and this story was great. I think Naledi and Tiro were so brave and it was terrible how black people were treated. The book was banned in South Africa for many years.

A real glimpse into a very different life.

Recommended Highly. Excelent book

I found it really good to read but, it was quite sad. It was also a shortish story for people over ten.

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Chapter 6 Journey to Jo’burg Summary, Analysis and all question answers

In this post, I am sharing with you Chapter 6 Journey to Jo’burg Summary Analysis and answers besides this chapter if you are interested you visit our other chapter of this book click here

Table of Contents

Summary of Journey to Jo’burg

Naledi and Tiro, two siblings who live in South Africa during the apartheid time, are also the centre of this chapter. The children suffer a lot of problems as a result of apartheid, including living apart from their mother, riding in congested areas reserved only for black people, and worrying about how the police will treat black kids.

The chapter also focuses on apartheid ‘s discriminatory practises, such as the demand that black people get a pass in order to remain in metropolitan areas and look for work. The plot centres on the children’s efforts to assist a poor guy who was detained for not having his pass, as well as the boy’s feelings of resentment and fury towards the police and the government as a result of their unjust laws.

In general, the chapter emphasises the hardships and injustices that black South Africans endured during the apartheid era as well as the tenacity of those who battled against it.

A. Mark the sentences as true (T) or false (F). Journey to Jo’burg

1. Tiro is the elder brother of Naledi.

2. Grace was stuck inside the train and couldn’t make her way out.

3. A policeman yelled at a sixteen-year-old boy.

4. The police took Naledi and Tiro with them.

5. Naledi and Tiro went to the arrested man’s house to get his pass.

6. The children never met Grace again.

B. Answer the questions briefly. Journey to Jo’burg

1. Who are the two main characters in the story? How are they related to each other?

Answers:  Naledi and Tiro are the two main characters. They are siblings.

2. Why was the train so crowded?

Answers: The train was crowded because it was rush hour when many people travelled in the train.

3. How did the children get separated from Grace?

Answers:  The train was very crowded and the children were pushed out of the train due to the force

of passengers alighting the train. Once they alighted, they were unable to climb back due to the rush of passengers at the door and Grace was also unable to get out of the train.

4. Why did the police come to the railway station?

Answers: The police came to the railway station to check the passes of all passengers at the

railway station.

5. How did Naledi and Tiro try to help the unfortunate man without a pass?

Answers: Naledi and Tiro went to the house of the unfortunate man. They informed his son that his

father had been arrested because he was not carrying his pass.

6. Why did the boy throw a stone at the police car?

Answers: The boy wanted to stop the police van that was carrying his father. He shouted at the

policemen to stop the van but when they did not stop, he threw a stone because he was angry that his father had been arrested.

7. What did the boy mean when he said, ‘How can our parents put up with this?’

Answers: he boy was angry that his parents were suffering due to the policy of apartheid followed

by the South African government.

C. Think and answer the questions.

1. Why do you think the black people needed a pass? What does that tell us about apartheid?

Answers: The black people needed a pass to stay in the urban areas so that they could seek

employment. The pass contained details of the person and his/her employment record. This tell us that apartheid was a very discriminatory system and black people had to face many hardships in South Africa.

2. According to you, what problems did the children in the story face because of apartheid?

Answers: The children faced several hardships due to apartheid. They had to live apart from their

mother. They had to travel in compartments meant only for blacks, and these were usually very crowded. Due to the crowd, they even got separated from their aunt on their way to visit their mother. The children feared the police because they knew that the police mistreated black children.

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