In 1936 Edward decided to leave farming and to make a living as a journalist in Capetown, South Africa, where he married Mary Frances Cunneen. He had been in South Africa on several occasions previously, twice on trading missions for the Free State Government. Now he was on a different footing, having to make a living as a freelance journalist. He secured work with the Rand Daily Mail and the Capetown Argos and he settled down with his wife and son William, and all seemed well. After some time he was restrained from writing on the subjects of Race, Religion and Politics, a constraint which greatly narrowed his field of writing, and brought him into sharp conflict with religious and political bigotry. This created a major difficulty for him as a writer and, with a reduced income, he was looking forward to returning to Ireland – his spiritual home which he loved so dearly. It was here that he compiled an excellent book An Afraic Theas.

I 1936 phós sé Mary Frances Cunneen, d’fhág sé curaimí na feirmeoireachta ina dhiaidh agus thug aghaidh ar an Afraic Theas, é ag beartú a bheatha a thuilleamh as é ag beartú a bheatha a thuilleamh as an iriseoireacht. Is i gCapetown a lonnaigh siad ach bíodh is gur minic a thug sé turas ar an gcathair sin cheana mar thurasóir, ní hionann sin agus bheith ag iarraidh do shlí bheatha a bhaint amach inti. Fuair sé post leis an Rand Daily Mail agus an Capetown Argus agus bíodh is gur scoth iriseora a bhí ann, coscadh air aon tagairt a dhéanamh do chúrsaí poilitíóchta ná do chúrsaí chreidimh. Ghoill an cosc seo air mar níor ceadaíodh dó ach scríobh faoi chúrsaí na h-Éireann rud a d’fhág fíor bheagán le scríobh aige. Is gearr gur thuig sé gur saol an-chúng a bhí roimhe san Afraic Theas agus bheartaigh sé ar fhilleadh ar Éirinn agus slí bheatha eile a aimsiú.