African LiteratureAuthors
📱 Track your child's reading — free Scan a book to log it. Kids earn streaks 🔥 & badges 🏅. Free on iOS & Android.
Home › Authors › African Literature › Sol Plaatje

Sol Plaatje: Biography, Books & Where to Start

1876–1932 · Boshof, Orange Free State (South Africa) · also known as Solomon Plaatje, Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje

Sol Plaatje booksSol Plaatje biographyNative Life in South AfricaMhudiSolomon PlaatjeSolomon Tshekisho Plaatje

Who was Sol Plaatje?

Sol Plaatje was a journalist, linguist and politician — a founding member and the first general secretary of the South African Native National Congress, which became the ANC. His Native Life in South Africa (1916) exposed the devastating 1913 Natives Land Act, and Mhudi, published in 1930, was one of the first novels in English by a Black South African. He also translated Shakespeare into Setswana.

Where to start

Begin with Native Life in South Africa.

Sol Plaatje’s books, in order

  1. Native Life in South Africa (1916) — South Africa.
    Free at: Project Gutenberg · Standard Ebooks · LibriVox · Wikisource · Internet Archive · Open Library Find a free edition →
  2. Mhudi (1930) — One of the first novels in English by a Black South African.
    Free at: Project Gutenberg · Standard Ebooks · LibriVox · Wikisource · Internet Archive · Open Library Find a free edition →

Part of our African Literature reading list — print it, email it to yourself or share it.

More African authors

Olaudah Equiano · Chinua Achebe · Wole Soyinka · Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o · Naguib Mahfouz · Mariama Bâ · Nadine Gordimer · J. M. Coetzee · Bessie Head · Tsitsi Dangarembga · Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sol Plaatje?

Sol Plaatje was a journalist, linguist and politician — a founding member and the first general secretary of the South African Native National Congress, which became the ANC. His Native Life in South Africa (1916) exposed the devastating 1913 Natives Land Act, and Mhudi, published in 1930, was one of the first novels in English by a Black South African.

What is Sol Plaatje’s most famous book?

Native Life in South Africa is usually considered Sol Plaatje’s best-known work, followed by Mhudi.

Which Sol Plaatje book should I read first?

Most readers start with Native Life in South Africa.

Is it Sol Plaatje or Solomon Plaatje?

Both refer to the same writer. Other spellings and names include Solomon Plaatje, Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje.

Can I read Sol Plaatje’s books free online?

Many of Sol Plaatje’s works are in the public domain; we link to free editions below.

📰 From our blog: reading tips

📝

What to Read: A Guide to the World’s Classics, Country by Country

Read →
📝

What to Read for Russian Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →
📝

What to Read for British Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →
📝

What to Read for American Classics: Where to Start, Reading Order & Free Books

Read →

All reading tips & book lists →

📚 Get the free Pagine app — 20,000+ books to read free Turn reading into a habit kids love — read online, set goals, earn badges.