Themba Emanuel Mashobane’s celebrated poetry collection claimed two prestigious honours in a single day, cementing its place as a trailblazer for South Africa’s marginalised languages.
By Themba Emanuel Mashobane
IsiDonodono, the award-winning isiNdebele poetry collection by Themba Emanuel Mashobane, claimed two prestigious literary awards on the same day last Friday, 7 November, in what has become a remarkable run of recognition for a book that has now won three awards and received seven nominations since its publication.
The first award came at The Book Behind The Awards (TBBA) ceremony held in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, under the Umngeni Municipality, where IsiDonodono won in the category of Best isiNdebele Book. The second followed the same evening at The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, in a ceremony hosted by SHOFAR Books. That two major awards fell on the same date underscored the growing national profile of a collection that began as a manuscript entry and has since travelled the length of the country.
The book, which contains 67 poems written in isiNdebele, was previously a winning manuscript at both the ANFASA and DSAC awards in 2025 before being published by ePublishing and Digital Displays. It is structured in the form of a textbook, with Mashobane providing literary analysis and explanatory notes alongside the poems β an approach that makes it both a creative work and a scholarly resource for readers and students of the language.
For Mashobane, the awards carry a purpose that extends beyond personal achievement. “I use these awards to promote isiNdebele, which is one of the most disadvantaged languages in South Africa when compared with other indigenous languages,” he said. “Award nominations pave the way for me to promote my book, my genre and to network with writers from different regions and various languages.”
His broader concern is access. Mashobane noted that self-published authors are frequently sidelined from both national awards and opportunities enjoyed by those backed by traditional publishing houses. Private awards that partner with established brands, he argued, provide an important platform for independent voices to showcase their work and reach new audiences.
He urged emerging writers to pursue such opportunities actively, treating local awards not as validation alone but as a practical tool for market visibility and professional connection.
IsiDonodono continues to demonstrate that a language once considered peripheral can, in the right hands, produce work of national distinction.
TBBA 2026 WINNERβS .
Best Female Author:
– Coffee Chaos & Calling. Thembeka Snethemba Jiyane
Best Awareness Book:
– Four Stages of Disability. Thulani Blessed Ndimande
Best Fiction Short Stories:
– The Intimate Stories of Izidalwa: The Future. Sakhile Msweli
Best Poetry Book:
– Khaya Apho Ukhona. Nozibele Mornica Maqutywa
Best Book Cover:
– Coffee Chaos & Calling. Thembeka Snethemba Jiyane
Best Inspirational/ Motivational Book:
– As Long as I Still Breathe. Makhosi Mbonambi
Best Memoir/Biography/Autobiography Book:
– The Dark Side of Campus Life- Sipho Ellen Tshaka.
Best Teenage Book
– Luminary. Asithandile Meyiwa
Best Educational/Historical/ Political Book:
– Is South Africa Ready for a Female President? Vincent Kheswa
Best Interfaith Book:
– The Battle for my Soul at Thirteen – Banele Molefe
Best Relationship/Romance Book:
– Beyond The Veil. Dr Happy Msomi
Best Sesotho Book:
– Li Hloa Lekhoara. Palesa Phatsoane Mosebi
Best isiXhosa Book:
– Singadibananga? Nozibele Mornica Maqutywa
Best IsiNdebele Book
- Themba Emanuel Mashobane
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