▁money ▁he ▁ended ▁up ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁dep riv ed ▁inner ▁city ▁area ▁of ▁Hill brow , ▁a ▁place ▁where ▁he ▁later ▁set ▁his ▁first ▁novel . ▁ ▁Welcome ▁to ▁Our ▁Hill brow ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁work ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁novel ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁changes ▁of ▁inner - city ▁life ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁in ▁the ▁ten ▁years ▁since ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ▁and ▁F . ▁W . ▁de ▁K ler k ▁engine ered ▁apart heid ' s ▁dem ise . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁native ▁black ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁facing ▁the ▁challeng es ▁of ▁pover ty , ▁un emp loyment , ▁and ▁H IV / A ID S . ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁striking ▁in ▁that ▁the ▁problems ▁created ▁by ▁apart heid ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁background ; ▁the ▁central ▁problems ▁of ▁black ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁are ▁those ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁making : ▁x en oph ob ia , ▁mean - sp ir ited ▁g oss ip , ▁w itch craft , ▁and ▁the ▁in ability ▁to ▁fully ▁love ▁each ▁other ▁or ▁themselves . ▁ ▁Perhaps ▁un sur pr ising ly , ▁considering ▁the ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁in ▁South ▁Africa , ▁H IV ▁and ▁A ID S ▁were ▁common ▁them es ▁in ▁M pe ' s ▁work . ▁Before ▁his ▁death ▁he ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁doctor ate ▁studies ▁on ▁sexual ity ▁in ▁post - ap art heid ▁South ▁African ▁literature ▁with ▁a ▁particular ▁focus ▁on ▁these ▁two ▁issues . ▁ ▁M pe ▁died ▁suddenly ▁at