Sabata-Mpho Mokae is an academic, novelist and translator from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

who writes in

Setswana Tswana, also known by its native name Setswana, is a Bantu language indigenous to Southern Africa and spoken by about 8.2 million people. It is closely related to the Northern Sotho and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalaga ...

and English. He is the author of a biography: ''The Story of Sol T. Plaatje,'' published in 2010 by the Sol Plaatje Educational Trust, in which the then Deputy President of South Africa,

Kgalema Motlanthe Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe (; born 19 July 1949) is a South African politician who served as the 3rd president of South Africa from 25 September 2008 to 9 May 2009, following the resignation of Thabo Mbeki. Thereafter, he was deputy president und ...

wrote the foreword.

Early life

Sabata-Mpho Mokae grew up in

Taung Taung is a small town situated in the North West Province of South Africa. The name means ''place of the lion'' and was named after Tau, the King of the Barolong people. ''Tau'' is the Tswana word for lion. Taung skull fossil site In 1924, a sk ...

in the North West raised by his grandparents. His debut Setswana novel ''Ga Ke Modisa'' published in 2012 won him the M-Net Literary Awards for Best Novel in Setswana as well as the M-Net Film Award in 2013. In 2014 the novel earned him the prestigious residency at

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

United States of America.

Career and works

Mokae is currently teaching Creative Writing in African Languages at the Sol Plaatje University in

Kimberley, Northern Cape Kimberley is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is located approximately 110 km east of the confluence of the Vaal River, Vaal and Orange Rivers. The city has considerable historica ...

, where he is also coordinating a literary translation programme called the Repatriation of Letters. Mokae is the author of a biography, The Story of Sol T. Plaatje (2010) and Setswana novels; Ga ke Modisa, published in 2012, Dikeledi in 2014, and Moletlo wa Manong which means “Feast of the Vultures”, was published in 2018. He is a co-editor of three academic publications: Sol Plaatje's Mhudi: History, Criticism, Celebration published in 2020 with Brian Willian published by Jacana, Sol T. Plaatje: A Life in Letters published in 2020 and Revisiting Sol Plaatje's Mafeking Diary: Reconsideration and Restoration published in 2023. He is the translator of two children's books by Gcina Mhlophe from English to Setswana: Dinaane tsa Afrika (from Stories of Africa, 2016) and Semaka sa Dinaane (from Our Story Magic, 2016. He has received three South African Literary Awards (2019, 2011 and 2021), the Humanities and Social Sciences Award in 2021, the M-NET Literary Award for Best Setswana Novel (2013), and the M-NET Film Award (2013). His work, which includes writing, translating, and teaching in two languages at the university level, earned him the PanSALB Multilingualism Award in 2022. On 202 June 2025 Mpho Mokae published his latest offering ;"Lefatshe ke la Badimo" with Xarra books.

Awards

* South African Literary Awards 2011. * South African Literary Awards 2019. * South African Literary Awards 2021. * Humanities and Social Sciences Award 2021. * PanSALB Multilingualism Award 2022.

References

{{Authority control Living people South African academics South African novelists South African translators South African writers Academic staff of the Sol Plaatje University