City boy Deon Maas flees the suburbs in search of adventure and Africa is where he reckons he will find it. Over a period of 15 years he embarks on several journeys, once with his whole family in tow, to discover what it means to be African.

He ends up ducking pirates in Madagascar, spending a night with oil thieves in Nigeria and narrowly escaping death at a roadblock in the Congo. Interwoven with his travel stories is his search for local music and the musical legends of the countries he visits. His stories are spiced with fascinating characters, strange sightings and… his cocky attitude! Anything but the typical tourist, Deon sets out to meet the locals and experience the underbelly of every new city. This means that he often ventures to places where he isn’t meant to be and he ends up in a tight spot more than once.

Impudent and blatantly honest, even ordering a hotel breakfast can become an adventure when Deon Maas is involved. His self-deprecating humor and offbeat take on most situations make for an unforgettable reading experience.

As columnist, music producer, radio presenter and television host DEON MAAS wears many hats. A former General Manager of Gallo, Deon has been involved in the music industry for fifteen years. As a columnist he has become known for his outspoken and often controversial views on a range of issues. Deon has his own media consultancy company called Meerkat Media which, among others, has produced the “Jozi, my Jozi” television campaign for the Joburg Metro and a documentary, My Big Fat Afrikaner Wedding. He was a judge on the Afrikaans Idols and had his own talk show on kykNet. He currently presents a radio show on South African protest music on Radio sonder Grense (rsg).