Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Hi! I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
Nearly 30 years before Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", there was "Mhudi" (1930) by Sol Plaatje — the first novel in English by a Black South African.
In today’s episode of RiffRaff’s Reading Renaissance, we explore Mhudi (1930) by Sol Plaatje — widely regarded as the first novel written in English by a Black South African, and how it laid foundations for the African literary tradition later made globally famous by Chinua Achebe.
Written between 1911–1920 and set during the 1830s upheavals of the Great Trek and the Mfecane, Mhudi blends romance, oral tradition, political critique, and historical fiction. Plaatje — activist, intellectual, journalist, linguist, translator of Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors into Setswana — uses fiction to confront land dispossession, colonial power, and African agency.
As founding General Secretary of what became the African National Congress, Plaatje was deeply involved in the political struggles surrounding the 1910 Union and the 1913 Natives Land Act — themes that echo powerfully through this novel.
In this video we explore:
- Why Mhudi is foundational to African literature
- The historical backdrop: The Great Trek & King Mzilikazi
- African oral tradition in written English form
- Female agency through the character of Mhudi
- The novel’s political strategy and satire
- How it predates and anticipates Things Fall Apart 30 years ahead
- Why it still matters in modern South Africa
We’ll also examine Plaatje’s non-fiction masterpiece, Native Life in South Africa, and how his activism shaped his fiction.
TIEMSTAMPS / CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro to The First African Novel in English
00:34 Who Was Sol Plaatje? (Polyglot, journalist, ANC activist)
05:03 Why Mhudi Matters
05:44 South African Historical Context
06:44 The Genesis of the Book (1930s)
09:05 Rediscovering the book (1970s)
10:23 Mfecane, Mazilikazi & the Matabele
12:33 The 4 Groups of Characters in the Book
17:08 The story - Romance or Historical Fiction?
19:11 Drawing on Setswana oral traditions
20:47 Simple ancient traditions under Colonial threat
23:30 Seeking to understand the culture (Ubuntu)
24:44 How Mhudi Foreshadows Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" (30 Years early!)
27:15 History, Criticism & Celebration of the book (100 Years later)
29:19 Why the book is foundational to African literature
31:04 Other Writers thoughts (Bessie Head, Zakes Mda, Toni Morrison)
34:14 The concept of Ubuntu
35:05 Historical fiction challenging historical perspectives
36:45 The relevance of the novel today (land, decolonization)
37:24 Why you should read Mhudi (unique insights)
38:24 Final Thoughts & Thank You
If you're interested in:
African literature
Postcolonial studies
South African history
The roots of the ANC
Historical fiction
Or the politics of storytelling
— this is a book you need to know.
📖 Mhudi is only about 180 pages, but its cultural and political impact is immense.
If you enjoy literary deep dives, please like, subscribe, and join me on this reading journey.
THANK YOU
And for the almighty algorithm : #Mhudi #SolPlaatje #AfricanLiterature #SouthAfricanHistory #PostcolonialLiterature #BookReview #ANC #historicalfiction
Hi! I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
Nearly 30 years before Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart", there was "Mhudi" (1930) by Sol Plaatje — the first novel in English by a Black South African.
In today’s episode of RiffRaff’s Reading Renaissance, we explore Mhudi (1930) by Sol Plaatje — widely regarded as the first novel written in English by a Black South African, and how it laid foundations for the African literary tradition later made globally famous by Chinua Achebe.
Written between 1911–1920 and set during the 1830s upheavals of the Great Trek and the Mfecane, Mhudi blends romance, oral tradition, political critique, and historical fiction. Plaatje — activist, intellectual, journalist, linguist, translator of Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors into Setswana — uses fiction to confront land dispossession, colonial power, and African agency.
As founding General Secretary of what became the African National Congress, Plaatje was deeply involved in the political struggles surrounding the 1910 Union and the 1913 Natives Land Act — themes that echo powerfully through this novel.
In this video we explore:
- Why Mhudi is foundational to African literature
- The historical backdrop: The Great Trek & King Mzilikazi
- African oral tradition in written English form
- Female agency through the character of Mhudi
- The novel’s political strategy and satire
- How it predates and anticipates Things Fall Apart 30 years ahead
- Why it still matters in modern South Africa
We’ll also examine Plaatje’s non-fiction masterpiece, Native Life in South Africa, and how his activism shaped his fiction.
TIEMSTAMPS / CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro to The First African Novel in English
00:34 Who Was Sol Plaatje? (Polyglot, journalist, ANC activist)
05:03 Why Mhudi Matters
05:44 South African Historical Context
06:44 The Genesis of the Book (1930s)
09:05 Rediscovering the book (1970s)
10:23 Mfecane, Mazilikazi & the Matabele
12:33 The 4 Groups of Characters in the Book
17:08 The story - Romance or Historical Fiction?
19:11 Drawing on Setswana oral traditions
20:47 Simple ancient traditions under Colonial threat
23:30 Seeking to understand the culture (Ubuntu)
24:44 How Mhudi Foreshadows Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" (30 Years early!)
27:15 History, Criticism & Celebration of the book (100 Years later)
29:19 Why the book is foundational to African literature
31:04 Other Writers thoughts (Bessie Head, Zakes Mda, Toni Morrison)
34:14 The concept of Ubuntu
35:05 Historical fiction challenging historical perspectives
36:45 The relevance of the novel today (land, decolonization)
37:24 Why you should read Mhudi (unique insights)
38:24 Final Thoughts & Thank You
If you're interested in:
African literature
Postcolonial studies
South African history
The roots of the ANC
Historical fiction
Or the politics of storytelling
— this is a book you need to know.
📖 Mhudi is only about 180 pages, but its cultural and political impact is immense.
If you enjoy literary deep dives, please like, subscribe, and join me on this reading journey.
THANK YOU
And for the almighty algorithm : #Mhudi #SolPlaatje #AfricanLiterature #SouthAfricanHistory #PostcolonialLiterature #BookReview #ANC #historicalfiction
