I knew nothing about Lauren Beukes, but I always swear by LitNet and looked on their website for something about her. And sure enough, a nine-page (!) interview with her:
LitNet | Bright Lights, Bleak City: in conversation with Lauren Beukes
I've not read it yet, but the interview was held on 18th June 2008, as far as I can see. So it's up to date. Plus older things:
LitNet | Big Issue
LitNet: BoekeBazaar
As for Jan Mbali's original question as to whether a book with regional or national flavour can be read by foreigners, my answer would be: "where there's a will, there's a way". If you read something about the geography, ethnic groups and languages of South Africa, and its troubled history, you automatically begin to understand allusions, hints and descriptions. None of us have ever been to Ancient Greece or Rome, but people still read the classics.
As I said in my last posting, I have never been to South Africa, but because of the Dutch dimension, I have read dozens of short-stories in Afrikaans, and don't feel that I'm missing too many references and allusions.