Where to Buy Secondhand Books Online in South Africa

There is something rather special about buying a secondhand book.

Perhaps you're searching for a favourite novel you once owned, an out-of-print title, an Afrikaans book that's become difficult to find, or simply your next great read at a more affordable price.

Fortunately, you no longer need to spend weekends travelling from bookshop to bookshop. South Africa has a growing selection of online secondhand bookshops and marketplaces where you can browse pre-loved books from home.

The trick is knowing where to look.

Here are some South African online secondhand bookshops and marketplaces worth exploring.

1. On The Shelf

On The Shelf is an independent online secondhand bookshop based in Cape Town, offering pre-loved books to readers throughout South Africa.

Our shelves include a continually changing selection of fiction, non-fiction, children's books, Afrikaans books, biographies, cookbooks, history, South African interest and plenty of unexpected finds.

Every secondhand book has had a life before arriving on our shelves, which is why we believe its condition matters. Books are individually inspected and graded before being listed so that you have a clear idea of what you're buying.

And, because most pre-loved books are single copies, the selection is always changing. Once a particular book has found its next reader, another copy may not come along for some time.

For me, that's part of the pleasure of secondhand book shopping — you don't always know what you're going to discover.

If you enjoy browsing to see what's recently found its way onto the shelves, start with our New Arrivals.

2. Bookle

Bookle is a South African online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling secondhand books.

Rather than being one bookshop holding all the stock, Bookle allows independent sellers to list their books for readers around the country to buy.

A marketplace can be particularly useful when you're looking for a specific title because you're effectively searching the shelves of many individual sellers rather than a single bookshop.

Its selection ranges across general fiction and non-fiction as well as textbooks and other categories.

3. Bakgat Books

Bakgat Books is another South African platform where readers can search for secondhand books online.

Its listings include a variety of pre-loved books, from fiction and general-interest titles to textbooks.

Sites such as Bakgat Books are worth adding to your search when you're hunting for a particular book because their available stock changes as sellers add new titles.

4. ReadMatter

ReadMatter is a South African online bookshop specialising in used and pre-loved books.

Its catalogue includes both fiction and non-fiction across a variety of genres, with books available for delivery around South Africa.

For readers who enjoy browsing a large online catalogue rather than searching only for a particular title, it's another useful place to explore.

5. The Story Station

The Story Station is an independent online secondhand bookshop based in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape.

Its changing selection includes fiction, non-fiction, Afrikaans books and textbooks, and it offers delivery throughout South Africa.

Like On The Shelf, it reflects one of the lovely things about independent secondhand bookshops: the selection depends on what has recently arrived.

6. BooksAgain

BooksAgain is a Johannesburg-based online retailer that has been selling used books online since 2008.

It offers a wide range of fiction and non-fiction and specifically focuses on used books rather than textbooks.

A long-established secondhand catalogue such as this can be particularly interesting when you're searching beyond current releases.

7. Awfully Bookish

Awfully Bookish is an online pre-loved bookshop based in Krugersdorp, with delivery available across South Africa.

Its categories include fiction, non-fiction, children's books and Afrikaans titles, as well as book bundles and other bookish finds.

It also offers a book watchlist for readers searching for particular titles — useful when the book you're looking for isn't currently available.

8. Wize Books Secondhand

Wize Books Secondhand is particularly worth knowing about if you're searching for used textbooks.

It operates an online secondhand marketplace where people can list used books for sale and other readers can purchase them.

While many of the bookshops in this guide focus heavily on general reading, Wize Books adds a useful alternative for school and tertiary books.

9. Boxes and Books

Boxes and Books is another dedicated South African online secondhand bookshop.

It carries thousands of secondhand books across different categories, making it another worthwhile stop when you're browsing generally or trying to track down a particular title.

10. Clarke's Bookshop

Clarke's Bookshop in Cape Town offers something slightly different.

Established in Long Street in 1957, the shop has a strong focus on books about Africa, particularly Southern Africa. Alongside new books, it carries general secondhand, remaindered, out-of-print and collectible titles.

If you're searching for an older, unusual, Africana or out-of-print book, Clarke's is well worth adding to your search.

Which secondhand bookshop should you try first?

There isn't really one answer — and that's the point.

Unlike conventional bookstores, secondhand bookshops don't all have access to the same catalogue. Each shop has its own collection, and that collection changes constantly.

If you're simply looking for your next good read, browse a few independent shops and see what catches your eye.

If you're searching for one particular book, try several stores and marketplaces. Search using the title and author, and if you need a particular edition, try the ISBN as well.

A book that's nowhere to be found today could appear next week when someone clears a bookshelf, moves home or passes a collection of books on to a secondhand bookseller.

What should you check before buying a secondhand book online?

Condition is one of the biggest differences between buying new and buying secondhand.

Before ordering, check:

• how the seller describes the book's condition;
• whether writing, markings or noticeable damage are disclosed;
• whether the photographs show the actual book being sold;
• the available delivery options;
• whether the title is currently in stock; and
• if the edition matters to you, whether the ISBN matches the one you're looking for.

A book described as "Good" won't necessarily look new — but it can still have many years of reading left in it.

Don't overlook Afrikaans and out-of-print books

One of the real advantages of shopping secondhand is finding books that are no longer readily available new.

This can be particularly useful when searching for older Afrikaans titles, South African books, discontinued editions, older cookbooks, children's favourites and books that have simply disappeared from mainstream bookstore shelves.

These are exactly the sorts of books for which searching several independent sellers can pay off.

Why choose pre-loved books?

Affordability is certainly part of the attraction, but secondhand books offer something more.

Buying pre-loved keeps existing books circulating. A perfectly good book gets another reader rather than being forgotten on a shelf.

And secondhand bookshops aren't restricted to what's newly published or currently popular.

You might arrive looking for one book and leave having discovered another that you didn't even know existed.

Sometimes the best book is the one you weren't looking for.

Looking for your next book?

If you enjoy the thrill of finding something unexpected, take a look at the latest books to arrive at On The Shelf.

We're based in Cape Town, and our pre-loved books find new homes with readers throughout South Africa.

And if the book you're hoping for isn't there today, come back and have another look.

Our shelves are always changing.

Where Great Books Gather