David was born in Mbombela and attended the Diocesan College (Bishops) in Cape Town. He has a degree in history from the University of Cape Town. He worked in the South African archives service before becoming a dealer in rare and unusual books on Africa (Africana) with his wife Karen. They own Select Books based in Claremont (near Cape Town). The shop was established in 1986 and we have owned it since 1996. He has written a number of books related to rugby in South Africa.
