Magozwe
A free picture book in Sepedi by Lesley Koyi

Magozwe is a picture book in Sepedi for ages 8–11 by Lesley Koyi that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.
📖 Read it free →- Language
- Sepedi
- Written by
- Lesley Koyi
- Illustrated by
- Wiehan de Jager
- Translated by
- Dikeledi Queen Phokane
- Reading level
- ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent
- From
- South Africa
- Source
- Global Storybooks
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Price
- Free — read online, nothing to download
About this book
Magozwe is a short illustrated picture book in Sepedi by Lesley Koyi, illustrated by Wiehan de Jager and translated by Dikeledi Queen Phokane. It is written for ages 8–11 (Grades 4–5) and is graded as Level 5 · Read aloud / independent, so it works as a read-aloud for little ones and as practice for children learning to read in Sepedi. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 4.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 28 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).
How it begins
Toropong ye nngwe ya go dula e nyeuma batho, kgolekgole le bophelo bja go hlokomelwa bja ka gae, go be go dula sehlopha sa bašemane ba go hloka magae. Bašemane ba, ba be ba thabela go bona matšatši a hlaba…Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 4.0).
This story in other languages
Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Magozwe” is also available in:
- Asante Twi · Magozwe
- Bemba · Magozwe
- Dagaare · Magozwe
- Dagbani · Magozwe
- Dangme · Mokasa
- Ewe · Magozwe
- Fante · Magozwe
- Ga · Magozwe
- Gonja · Magozwe
- Jamaican Creole · Magozwe
- Kaonde · Magozwe
- Kasem · Magozwe
- Kiswahili · Magozwe
- Lukhonzo · Magozwe
- Lunda · Magozwe
- Luvale · Magozwe
- Mauritian Creole · Magozwe
- Nyanja · Magozwe
- Nzema · Magozwe
- Sesotho · Magozwe
- Somali · Magozwe
- Spanish · Magozwe
- Tonga · Magozwe
- Tsonga · Mahewu
- Tswana · Magozwe
- Venda · Magozwe
- Xhosa · UMagozwe
- Zulu · UMagozwe
Reading together in Sepedi
- Read it aloud first, pointing at the pictures; then let your child “read” the pictures back to you.
- Ask open questions: what happened, how did the character feel, what would you do?
- Growing up with two languages? Talk about the story in whichever language feels easiest — the understanding carries over.
More free books in Sepedi
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Dumela
Mma, re ja eng ka matena?
Go sepela mmogo
Go nyakana le moya wa seruthwane
Go opela nnete: Kanegelo ya Miriam Makeba
Boa, Katse!
Mmutla Ka Tlase Ga Mohlare
See all 104 free Sepedi books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩🏫 Assign this book to a class
Frequently asked questions
Is “Magozwe” free to read?
Yes. “Magozwe” is free to read online in Pagine on any phone, tablet or computer — no payment and nothing to download. It is openly licensed (CC BY 4.0).
What language is “Magozwe” in?
It is written in Sepedi. Pagine has 104 free children’s books in Sepedi.
What age is “Magozwe” for?
It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.
Is “Magozwe” available in other languages?
Yes — the same story is in Somali, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sesotho, Tsonga and more.
Who wrote “Magozwe”?
“Magozwe” was written by Lesley Koyi and illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; the Sepedi translation is by Dikeledi Queen Phokane.
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Get the free app →Credits: Magozwe — Written by Lesley Koyi; Illustrated by Wiehan de Jager; Translated by Dikeledi Queen Phokane. Sepedi, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=13213). CC BY 4.0. · Page updated October 2026