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Alexandra: A History by Philip Bonner and Noor Nieftagodien is a social and political history of one of South Africa’s oldest townships. It begins with the founding of Alexandra as a freehold township in 1912, and traces its growth as a center of black working-class life in the heart of Johannesburg, to the post-apartheid era.

The stories of ordinary people are at the core of the township’s history. Based on scores of life history interviews, the book portrays in vivid detail the daily struggles and tribulation of Alexandrans. A focus point is the rich history of political resistance, in which civic movements and political organisations—such as the ANC, Communist Party and socialist organisations like the Movement for Democracy of Content. The book is not only about politics. It tells the stories of daily life, of the making of urban cultures and of the infamous Spoilers and Msomi gangs.