Southport friendships inspire new book series

What began as a spontaneous coffee invitation on a local WhatsApp group has grown into a book series celebrating friendship, humour and resilience among women who refuse to be defined by age.

Author Marianne Fourie, who retired after 40 years as a high school teacher at the end of 2023, relocated from Springs, Gauteng to Southport in June 2024. After a few months on the South Coast, she admits the quiet seaside life left her craving connection.

“After about three months down here, I started developing cabin fever. I needed female company,” said Fourie.

She placed an open invitation on the Southport WhatsApp group, asking if any ladies would like to join her for coffee at Captain’s Anchor at Southport Beach. Fourteen women arrived.

“To my surprise, I discovered the ladies down here do not drink coffee,” she laughed. “But it turned into a lovely morning, and we decided it should become a regular thing.”

The monthly gatherings soon became known as The Real Housewives of Southport, a group of middle-aged women bound by friendship, laughter and lively conversation.

Marianne, who had long wanted to write about women who embrace life rather than shy away from it, found her inspiration during one of these get-togethers.

“I looked at the group and just knew – they have to be memorialised in a book,” she said.

From the original group, she selected six women who had been there from the start and, with their permission to use their names for fictional characters, Project Stronzo was born. The book, while rooted in local conversations and issues, is a work of fiction.

“I wanted to give the story credibility, so I brought in things like the closing of the bridge, the proposed small craft harbour and our beloved milkwood trees – all topics we spoke about at our monthly meet-ups,” she explained. “But the story itself is pure fiction.”

Written over three months alongside her proofreading and editing work for her publisher, Malherbe Publishers, the book was warmly received. The publisher has since suggested the story become a series, and Fourie is currently working on the second instalment.

The Real Housewives of Southport – Project Stronzo marks Fourie’s first English book.

Local reader Gaynor Lawson praised the book’s authenticity and charm.

“I think heroic locals need to be celebrated. I finished my copy and thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Lawson. “It’s a light and easy read with a strong local flair. The ladies she depicts are exactly as they are in real life – brave, funny and real larger-than-life characters.”

Marianne began writing during the 2020 lockdown and has already published seven Afrikaans titles. Her most recent Afrikaans novel, Skaaptjops vir Sonja, became a standout success, ranking number 15 on Amazon in the light romantic fiction category in December.

For more information, contact Marianne on 082 2238023.

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