Mine Boy – by Peter Abrahams

Mine Boy, first published in 1946, is a pioneering novel by South African author Peter Abrahams that powerfully portrays the racial injustice and urban hardship of apartheid-era South Africa. The story follows Xuma, a young Black man from the countryside who moves to Johannesburg in search of work in the gold mines. There, he faces the brutal realities of racial discrimination, economic exploitation, and urban poverty.

As Xuma navigates love, friendship, and political awakening, the novel explores themes of identity, resistance, dignity, and the awakening of Black consciousness. Mine Boy was one of the first African novels in English to depict life under apartheid, and it remains a landmark in African literature and social realism.