The Books business consists of both the book retail, online retail, book and map publishing and a logistics arm. Retail consists of Exclusive Books and Van Schaik Bookstores. From a base of nine outlets in 1995 Exclusive Books has growth to be South Africa’s leading book retailer, with 45 stores in upmarket shopping centres and major South African airports. Van Schaik Bookstore is South Africa’s leading and biggest academic bookstore with 44 stores countrywide that offer a service to both lecturers and students.

The book publishing business promotes books written in both English and Afrikaans, underpinned by RandomhouseStruik's 47-year heritage publishing mainly non-fiction African titles under the Struik, Zebra Press.

Random House SA's local imprint Umuzi, established three years ago to mark the company's 40th anniversary in South Africa, continues to publish new voices in both fiction and non-fiction.

This is supported by Booksite Afrika, the biggest distributor of trade books in the South African market. The Maps business comprises MapStudio, established in 1956 to become the largest compiler and publisher of maps on the African continent; and digital Mapit, created as a joint venture between South Africa's leading publisher of map products.