Simbegwire

A free picture book in Afrikaans by Rukia Nantale

Simbegwire is a picture book in Afrikaans for ages 8–11 by Rukia Nantale that you can read free online in Pagine — no download, no cost.

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Language

Afrikaans

Written by

Rukia Nantale

Illustrated by

Benjamin Mitchley

Translated by

Marguerite van Wyk, Helena Vilonel

Reading level

ages 8–11 · 3rd to 5th grade · Level 5 · Read aloud / independent

From

South Africa

Source

Global Storybooks

Licence

CC BY 3.0

Price

Free — read online, nothing to download

About this book

Simbegwire is a short illustrated picture book in Afrikaans by Rukia Nantale, illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley and translated by Marguerite van Wyk, Helena Vilonel. 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 Afrikaans. The book comes from Global Storybooks and is shared under an open CC BY 3.0 licence, which is why it is free to read. The same story is available in 15 other languages — handy for bilingual families and classrooms (see below).

How it begins

Toe Simbegwire se ma gesterf het, was sy baie hartseer. Simbegwire se pa het sy bes gedoen om vir sy dogter te sorg. Stadig het hulle geleer om weer gelukkig te wees sonder Simbegwire se moeder. Hulle het elke oggend…

Opening lines quoted from the openly licensed book (CC BY 3.0).

This story in other languages

Reading the same story in two languages helps bilingual children connect words they already know. “Simbegwire” is also available in:

• Bemba · Simbegwire
• English · Simbegwire
• Jamaican Creole · Simbegwiere
• Kaonde · Simbegwire
• Kiswahili · Simbegwire
• Lukhonzo · Simbegwire
• Lunda · Simbegwire
• Lunyole · Sibahwana
• Luvale · Simbegwire
• Mauritian Creole · Simbegwire
• Nyanja · Simbegwire
• Somali · Simbegwire
• Spanish · Simbegwire
• Tonga · Simbegwire
• Tswana · Simbegwire

Reading together in Afrikaans

• 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 Afrikaans

• Die Heuningwyser se wraak
• Samoesas!
• Fifi en Teddie
• Kom ons ruim die rommel op
• Baba Geselsies
• Hoe slaap jy?
• Klein Bokkie
• Saam Loop

See all 143 free Afrikaans books by reading level → · Books in 200+ languages · 👩‍🏫 Assign this book to a class

Frequently asked questions

Is “Simbegwire” free to read?

Yes. “Simbegwire” 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 3.0).

What language is “Simbegwire” in?

It is written in Afrikaans. Pagine has 143 free children’s books in Afrikaans.

What age is “Simbegwire” for?

It is best for ages 8–11 (Level 5 · Read aloud / independent). Younger children can enjoy it read aloud.

Is “Simbegwire” available in other languages?

Yes — the same story is in English, Kiswahili, Somali, Tswana, Lukhonzo, Lunyole and more.

Who wrote “Simbegwire”?

“Simbegwire” was written by Rukia Nantale and illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; the Afrikaans translation is by Marguerite van Wyk, Helena Vilonel.

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Credits: Simbegwire — Written by Rukia Nantale; Illustrated by Benjamin Mitchley; Translated by Marguerite van Wyk, Helena Vilonel; Read by Willemien Wannberg. Afrikaans, Level 5. From Global Storybooks (southafricareads.org), originally from the African Storybook (https://africanstorybook.org/reader.php?id=7068). CC BY 3.0. · Page updated October 2026