IGrow’s Holiday Book Reading List

As the year comes to a close and the holidays are looming, you will have extra time on your hands to settle down with a good book. Not only will it offer relaxation, but it’s also enriching to gain further knowledge that you can use. This could be your stepping stone to gaining additional knowledge and confidence in property investing. This is exactly what a well-chosen book reading list can provide you with.

You can get comfortable on the couch, at your beach destination or whilst travelling, with an enriching book. You will be entertained as well as inspired.

With 2026 approaching, why not enter the new year having read a book that leaves you prepared and ready to make your next property purchase?

At IGrow, we have reviewed several books aimed at boosting your property investment knowledge, for wealth mindset growth, personal and financial development. For your downtime, we’ve chosen six key books that form the ideal holiday reading list. These are books we have reviewed throughout the year that align with IGrow’s investing philosophies. These reads will give you insight into investment strategy and tools you can implement so that 2026 will be your year to grow the property portfolio you have always dreamed of.

Table of Contents

1. “Making Money Out of Property in South Africa” by Jason Lee
2. “Bricks for Chicks: Property Investment for Women Who Kick Ass!” by Tanya Haffern
3. “The Breakthrough Experience” By John Demartini
4. “Flip for Success: Proven Facts for Successful Property Flipping” by Jenny Heron
5. “Buy Your First Home: South Africa’s Ultimate Property Guide for Newbies” by Zamantungwa Khumalo
6. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki

Our six recommended reads for your holiday reading list are discussed below.

1. “Making Money Out of Property in South Africa” by Jason Lee

In our blog post review of Making Money Out of Property in South Africa, we discovered that this book offers valuable strategic advice for South African investors. Jason Lee gives expert tips tailored to the local property market. This is regarding property market dynamics, rental market dynamics and touches on areas such as financing information.

Why this should be on your book reading list:

• It provides a guide for identifying good deals and the importance of doing market research before diving into your property purchase.
• It takes you through the steps of structuring your property deal, from negotiation to home loans, and ensuring you do your homework on the property you wish to buy.
• This book discusses the property flipping model (where Jason Lee recommends you buy an undervalued property, renovate it and sell it off quickly). Jason Lee is an advocate of buying and flipping, in contrast to our buy-to-let model at IGrow. We believe holding onto a buy-to-let property is a smart investment move as the property will appreciate with time. This also forms the basis to create passive income streams through secure monthly rental income. This book offers a wealth of knowledge relevant to our investors.

As a book on your holiday reading list, this is an ideal read to understand the dynamics of property investing in South Africa.

2. “Bricks for Chicks: Property Investment for Women Who Kick Ass!” by Tanya Haffern

We interviewed property investor powerhouse, Tanya Haffern, in Part 1 and Part 2 exclusive interviews of the author of Bricks for Chicks: Property Investment for Women Who Kick Ass!, to find out more about her book. It’s aimed predominantly at a female audience, yet it’s valuable for all investors looking to build wealth through property.

Below, we’ll share why this book should be on your good books to read list:

• Tanya Haffern’s tone is easy to relate to, offers actionable tips, and is very encouraging. As an author, Tanya demystifies property investment for beginner investors and shows you how you can succeed through step-by-step action.
• She emphasises the importance of mindset and having a supportive team on your side. Creating your support team is essential, according to Tanya. She also recommends doing property market research, being disciplined, taking stock of the numbers involved in your expected cash flow related to the purchase price and any other hidden costs. This helps you create a sustainable buy-to-let property portfolio, which aligns with IGrow’s buy-to-let philosophies and model.
• Bricks for Chicks conveys stories and techniques which resonate with its audience. The storytelling element makes her journey relatable. It aims to show that anyone can invest in property and succeed with the right know-how and support, as Tanya shares.

Having Bricks for Chicks on your holiday reading list will help you recharge and inspire your next property investment move. Property investing is a tool that empowers people and gives them the ability to leave a legacy for their children and grandchildren. This is what we inspire our own IGrow investors to strive for.

3. “The Breakthrough Experience” by John Demartini

In our book review blog post of The Breakthrough Experience, we explore the teachings of Dr John Demartini. We look at how his powerful tools for emotional and general well-being tie into property and investing. Demartini highlights the need to focus on internal belief systems, personal values and mental stamina. While this book is not strictly about property investing, it forms a vital, well-being-nourishing supplement to your property investing toolkit.

This book should feature on your good books to read list because:

• It challenges your limiting beliefs and replaces them with beliefs to inspire confidence in yourself and your goals.
• It will help you match your values to your ambitions. This leads to mental clarity and sustained momentum in reaching your goals. These tools are essential in building a property portfolio.
• It is a wonderful accompaniment to the more property investing and financial-related books we recommend.

With The Breakthrough Experience as a must-read on your holiday reading list, you will invest time and acquire mental clarity. This will help you in the next phase of your property investment journey. With a new year, 2026, around the corner, your mindset will be strong, and you will be able to make smart property investment moves.

4. “Flip for Success: Proven Facts for Successful Property Flipping” by Jenny Heron

Flip for Success: Proven Facts for Successful Property Flipping is aimed at our IGrow Real Estate International investor audience, or home-owners looking to sell their homes. Jenny Heron’s book is a prime read and relevant to these investors. In our book review blog post and interview with Jenny, we explore exactly how this book offers tried-and-tested tips and secrets to making your house that’s for sale stand out. As well as tips to prepare you for your house’s show day, and how to maximise the sale value.

Why this book should be on your holiday reading list:

Jenny Heron emphasises “curb appeal” as a value-adder.

“Curb appeal can add 7% to the asking price. It also attracts people who are driving by or those browsing on the internet, encouraging them to view the property.”– Jenny Heron (Flip for Success: Proven Facts for Successful Property Flipping: Page 61).

• She offers her readers a show-day checklist: home staging is critical (or placing furniture strategically throughout the home, making it appear homely), and the importance of lighting.
• Having scents like aromatic candles, freshly baked vanilla cookies, and freshly brewed coffee wafting through your home on show day makes property viewers feel at home.
• Jenny covers how you can deal with “dead space” (unused areas) and turn them into functional spots, such as creating home offices. This speaks to modern buyer demands and remote workers, particularly relevant with remote work having picked up locally.
• Jenny looks deeper at what sellers may sometimes overlook: good photography of the home, aided by a compelling online property listing, and open-house show-day preparation. This helps your property stand out in the competitive South African property market.

If you plan to sell your house or even upgrade, Jenny’s book should be on your good books to read list. It’s a real page turner for your holiday relaxation time, so you can feel properly prepared before you list your house on the market.

5. “Buy Your First Home: South Africa’s Ultimate Property Guide for Newbies” by Zamantungwa Khumalo

Our book review of this book, Buy Your First Home: South Africa’s Ultimate Property Guide for Newbies, authored by Zamantungwa Khumalo, suits first-time buyers. The content is so thorough and handy that it suits novice investors and seasoned portfolio holders alike.

Why this book should secure a spot on your holiday reading list:

• It goes into the details of the full property investment journey: from renting vs buying, to home loan applications, checking your affordability, the perks of off-plan purchases, and the essentials of estate planning and having your will in place.
• It’s written in a resonating tone, built on real South African property investor scenarios. This makes it accessible even for those who feel “property investment is only for the wealthy”.
• For IGrow’s investor audience, Zamantungwa’s book provides value by recounting the basics of property investing, covering all the necessary touchpoints mentioned above. Whether you are buying your next property or your first property, you will be able to avoid rookie errors.

Buy Your First Home fits perfectly on your best books to read list. It is a great read to strengthen your basic knowledge of property investing before you take the first or the next necessary steps.

6. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki

Our final book recommendation for that holiday reading list is Rich Dad Poor Dad by the famous author, Robert Kiyosaki. In our book review blog post, we look into this life-changing classic that still resonates with modern property investors.

Why does this book belong on your best books to read list this festive season holiday?

Robert Kiyosaki’s core message is: “The poor and the middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.” – Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad: Page 71).

This mindset shift transforms you from being a salaried labourer to a strategic real estate investment owner.

• Robert defines assets (which put money in your pocket) vs. liabilities (which take money out of your pocket). In other words, a rental property with a positive cash flow is a core asset under your personal control. Rich Dad Poor Dad helps you think like a winning asset owner, not a worker slaving away for the benefit and riches of his/her boss.He emphasises the value of financial education and learning by taking action. These lessons echo IGrow’s core philosophies. Jacques Fouché, IGrow’s Founder and CEO, believes very strongly in providing free online educational resources for our investors. (View our blog post that explores IGrow’s free property investing knowledge boosting resources.)

For your ideal book reading list, this book is key to your backbone in financial and property investing knowledge. If you decide to read Rich Dad Poor Dad on your holiday, you will perceive real estate investing and the intricacies of financial success through a new lens. This empowers you to view property, your finances and financial freedom with renewed and inspired vigour.

Conclusion

Having a wonderful, enriching book reading list to choose from, as we have laid out above, leaves you spoiled for choice this festive season break. You can choose from an assortment of books to read that align with your goals. You will open up your mind to new and useful ideas and strategic property investing advice. This holiday, you can choose to grow your knowledge and your chances of success so you can expand your property portfolio this upcoming year. Let’s enter 2026 with positivity and momentum.

The six books, listed above, each have unique viewpoints to nurture your own strategic thinking, to empower you, develop your mindset, your property and financial knowledge foundation and thought process. Whether you read one or more of these recommended reads, you’ll come away from the festive break prepared, confident and ready to make your next property purchase.

Pick a comfy spot, settle down, open your next book and allow your holiday reading list to become your ultimate stepping-stone to great success in your property investment journey.

May you have a restful, productive and inspirational holiday! Here’s to making your property investment dreams come true in 2026.

Contact an IGrow property investment strategist today so you can plan your next property purchase with ease and expertise on your side with the IGrow team’s support and guidance.