Mates for Always is an engaging thriller set within a richly diverse cultural landscape. It evokes a vivid portrait of post-apartheid South Africa in transition, warts and all. The novel's many characters are convincing in their human frailties. Male fellowship and father-son bonds form its core themes. At heart, the narrative follows the enduring friendship between Sipho and Reneson, the two protagonists, and shows how their rare bond is tragically shattered when they become victims of the country's endemic crime.
