Hazel Friedman’s new book uncovers Jeffrey Epstein’s hidden South African connections

The story of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and the powerful network surrounding him continues to raise disturbing questions about exploitation, accountability and the people who enabled his abuse. Now, award-winning South African investigative journalist Hazel Friedman is turning the focus closer to home with a new book that examines a largely unexplored dimension of the case: Epstein’s connections to South Africa.

Titled The Devil Wears Sneakers, the forthcoming book investigates how Epstein recruited South African women, how Cape Town allegedly became a hunting ground, and what drew the disgraced financier to the country. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with South African women who had not previously spoken publicly about their experiences, Friedman seeks to uncover the people, circumstances and unanswered questions surrounding his local network.

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Among the questions explored is why Epstein, whose reported preferences and attitudes towards women have drawn scrutiny, was interested in Africa. The book also examines his interest in acquiring a home in Cape Town’s affluent Bantry Bay neighbourhood, raising further questions about his activities and intentions in South Africa.

While Epstein’s connections to influential figures around the world have attracted international attention, the experiences of South African women connected to his network have received comparatively little public scrutiny. By centring their accounts, Friedman’s investigation shifts the focus away from the notorious financier alone and towards the women whose stories are essential to understanding the broader scope of his abuse.

But The Devil Wears Sneakers is not solely an investigation into predation and impunity. It also examines the lasting consequences of trauma, the pressures that can keep survivors silent and the courage required to speak about deeply personal experiences. At its heart is an attempt to bring previously unheard accounts into public view without losing sight of the people behind them.

Friedman brings considerable experience to the subject. A multi-award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker and author, she has built her career around exposing injustice, documenting resilience and telling stories that might otherwise remain on the margins. Her work spans investigative reporting and contemporary culture, with a particular focus on the people and experiences that demand closer attention.

With The Devil Wears Sneakers, Friedman turns that investigative lens towards a chapter of the Epstein story that has yet to receive the attention it warrants in South Africa. By tracing his connections to the country and documenting the experiences of women who say they were recruited into his orbit, the book seeks to contribute to a wider understanding of how his network operated beyond the places already examined in international reporting.

For South African readers, the investigation raises difficult questions about vulnerability, power and accountability, while challenging the idea that Epstein’s crimes were a distant international scandal with little relevance to local realities.

As the book prepares for release, The Devil Wears Sneakers promises to bring a long-overlooked part of the story into focus, foregrounding South African voices and examining what happens when the pursuit of truth confronts years of silence.