Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa

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Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 5,825 ratings · 442 reviews

The Classic Story of Life in Apartheid South Africa

Mark Mathabane was weaned on devastating poverty and schooled in the cruel streets of South Africa's most desperate ghetto, where bloody gang wars and midnight police raids were his rites of passage. Like every other child born in the hopelessness of apartheid, he learned to measure his life in days, not years. Yet Mark Ma...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published October 7th 1998 by Free Press (first published 1986)

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May 05, 2008 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kara Murphy
Ms Houseman
World Lit
5/5/08

Mark Mathabane
Kaffir Boy
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007
354 pp. $15.00
978-0-684-84828-0

“Let us not rest until we are free to live in dignity in the land of our birth.”(Mark Mathabane) Mark Mathabane dedicates this quote in his autobiography (Kaffir Boy) to the people in South Africa for the struggle and fight for freedom. The autobiography shows the cruel punishment black South Africans suffer from white South Africans in the 1950’s, getting in great de...more Kara Murphy
Ms Houseman
World Lit
5/5/08

Mark Mathabane
Kaffir Boy
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007
354 pp. $15.00
978-0-684-84828-0

“Let us not rest until we are free to live in dignity in the land of our birth.”(Mark Mathabane) Mark Mathabane dedicates this quote in his autobiography (Kaffir Boy) to the people in South Africa for the struggle and fight for freedom. The autobiography shows the cruel punishment black South Africans suffer from white South Africans in the 1950’s, getting in great detail the pain he and his family suffered. Although the black society in South Africa was an underdog to the White society, Mathabane expresses the hope and devotion black South Africans had in such a crucial time period.
Hope and devotion keeps the black South African society from not completely falling apart and giving up against the over ruling white society. Such thing as education and employment is a daily struggle for them and without hope and devotion their black society would earn no rights. In his autobiography, Mathabane explains the devotion his mother has for Mathabane to be educated, and the struggles she had to go through. ““Why do you want me to go to school Mama?” I asked hopping she might somehow clear up some of the confusion that was building in my mind. “I want you to have a future, boy […] and contrary to what your father says, school is the only means to a future.”(133 Mathabane) Education is a great gift to Mathabane and his mother, and for her son to be provided with such a thing gives her pride and hope. In the process in getting Mathabanes education, however, his mother goes through a series of struggles with only hope to drive her to stay devoted. Repeatedly, his mother and Mathabane had to wait in hour-long lines to only be rejected for forms necessary for schooling. “ The baas says he can’t see you today” he said removing a fancy overcoat [...] “We’ve been here since five in the morning. All we need are papers for my son. Please tell him I desperately need the papers for my son. Please, murena, please.”(112) The process of coming back and forth to the office hopefully getting the papers necessary was an overwhelming and frustrating experience for his mother, and she had to have hope to stay devoted to her dream of her son being educated. Which in conclusion of this autobiography, Mathabane gets a education growing up to not only be top of his class, but even moves on to college out of South Africa.
Hope and devotion are important qualities black South Africans had to have in this time to succeed. Mark Mathabane shows the struggle his society went through and without these qualities you would be lost in the crowd. Without hope and devotion not only would Mathabane lives be changed, but the black South African society as a whole

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Sep 30, 2008 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow-this is an eye opening book. Mark Mathabane writes of his life as a Black boy in South Africa during Apartheid. I had no idea what went on during that era (and sadly some of what went on then, is probably still happening now). i found this book listed on a list of books that people want to ban...which means that I should probably read them. After reading it, I'm not sure why anyone would want to ban it. I think everyone should read it. It is HISTORY and a reality that perhaps we don't want t...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Gloria Lopez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kaffir boy is a captivating story of the coming of age of an African boy who grows up in the ghettos of southern Africa.This autobiography is able to capture the poverty and grief of many blacks living in the ghettos of South Africa. The setting that takes place in this book is in southern Africa and is being supposedly ruled by a democratic government , apartheid is taking place , and it separates blacks from whites. All the whites live in a bountiful part of South Africa , consequently , they...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Brian T rated it 4 of 5 stars

I believe that this is the type of book that all of us should read. The author lived in abject poverty in the ghettos of South Africa during the years of Apartheid, but he got out. Most everyone DID NOT get out in those days. There were VERY FEW ways out of the ghettos... The author was incredibly lucky...

Had I read this when Apartheid was still a reality, I would have been outraged and mortified. I would be screaming for change! As it was, I read the book in 2012, long after Apartheid had been...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Sylvia Botero rated it 4 of 5 stars

A true story that keeps you reading late into the night. A very well written book about a a boy born into a poverty-stricken black family in South Africa during apartheid.
This family's suffering reminds me of Frankie McCourt in Angelas's Ashes. He suffers hunger, witnesses senseless violence and is taught by his father to hate and fear whites.
Thanks to an amazing mother, he begins to value an education at an early age. He is brilliant and with the help of scholarships and the support of some w...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Shayene Joseph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading Kaffir Boy really opened my eyes to becoming a better person to those around me. In this book, the government made the lives of the black people a living hell. I would never want to make someone feel like they are in a world of hopelessness and that they will never become successful. In the beginning of the book, I couldn't believe that the author, Mark Mathabane, actually went through what he described. But as I read, page after page, chapter after chapter, I could feel his emotions be...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Mike Hagopian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kaffir Boy was a very interesting book. I really enjoyed this book because it made me realize how good I actually have it, for example coming to a home and eating meals every night, and not being around violence. Johannes (the main character in the book) did not have all of this. He was constantly surrounded by violence, and at one point he hadn't eaten anything in weeks. He would have to beg for crumbs, and that was better than nothing. This book taught me a lot about apartheid in South Africa....more

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Nov 04, 2012 Rebecca Hellman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kaffir Boy is a novel/autobiography about a young boy growing up in apartheid South Africa. The author, Mark Mathabane writes about the life changing experiences he went through to survive, and someday head to America. He lives with his abusive father, and loving mother who is constantly having more and more children at his fathers request. Growing up isn't easy. He witnesses so much violence at such a young age, and is beaten so often by his father, it is a miracle he survives. At a young age,...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Katherine Dolan added it

I very much enjoyed Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa. Johannes was a boy growing up in apartheid South Africa, who was granted several scholarships, was able to get a full education, where the dropout rate was extremely high, and was able to play tennis with many white people who helped him achieve his goal of going to America. While the book told a really amazing story about growing up in apartheid South Africa, and beating the odds, it was a...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Gianna Coppola rated it 3 of 5 stars

At the start of this book, I thought that I wasn't going to like it very much. It was very violent at times, and I am not into those kinds of books. By reading this book it taught me a lot. I also learned about apartheid in South Africa, which really upset me. I was unaware of what was going on in South Africa at that time, and it really upset me to find out what blacks were going through. Between the raids and just white people thinking that they're superior to blacks really upset me. I do not...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Sarah Rahim rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought that Kaffir boy was an eye-opening book as well. I had never herd about apartheid until I read this book and realized what had happened in South Africa years ago. It had vivid detailed throughout the book that the reader could really imagine. In a lot of parts throughout this book there were a lot suspense when I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen during the raids but at the same time I was putting myself in Johannes (the main characters) shoes and I felt horrible. I couldn’...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

It is always hard to write a fair review about a book where you've fallen out with the protagonist, who, by the end of the book, I found mildly irritating and preachy. I am in two minds about this book which on the one hand I found insightful and revealing, but on the other, tediously introspective and lacking in realism. That's not to say that I don't buy into the representation of SA that Mathabane puts forward, it is simply that the book is written, intentionally or otherwise, in a childish m...more It is always hard to write a fair review about a book where you've fallen out with the protagonist, who, by the end of the book, I found mildly irritating and preachy. I am in two minds about this book which on the one hand I found insightful and revealing, but on the other, tediously introspective and lacking in realism. That's not to say that I don't buy into the representation of SA that Mathabane puts forward, it is simply that the book is written, intentionally or otherwise, in a childish manner, by which I mean that Mathabane focuses solely on his subjective experience of everything, regardless of whether or not the reader would be interested in hearing about the feelings of those around him. For example, Mathabane describes his childhood as the eldest son in a family of two boys and five girls, however there is barely any description of times spent together with his siblings or of what his siblings get up to.

Furthermore, there were few descriptions of the surrounding environment. The first half of the book was slightly better in this respect, while Mathabane was a child, but once he becomes a youth and tennis takes over, there is hardly any description at all of his home, despite the fact that it was now become occupied with seven children!

Mathabane's lack of attention to descriptive details is however not reflected in his descriptions of conversations, which he appears to recall word for word, paragraph after paragraph. This made me slightly suspicious about the veracity of what he claims people said as I was left with the impression that Mathabane was recalling the conversations in a way that he wanted to remember them, rather than necessarily being a true summary of what was said. I felt this in particular when he described conversations with his mother.

There is no doubting at all that a book like this is so important in teaching us about the harsh reality of life in SA townships, and one cannot help but admire Mathabane's strength and determination in escaping this way of life. But, over 20 years later, post-apartheid, I can't help wondering what the book achieved, given that life in Alex and many townships in SA has hardly moved on since. (less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book off of the free shelf at the library and got exactly what I expected: An introspective look into black life during apartheid. While interesting, if you know anything about apartheid, the information will not come as a surprise. It's uplifting to think that this man made it out so well, but I wish he would have added a postscript at the end, letting us know about what happened to the rest of his family. All I could think of at the end of the book was about how much I wondered h...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Devika Koppikar rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. One of the best books I’ve ever read. I can’t stop talking about it to my friends and family.

It is written with so much wisdom and zeal, that the reader experiences Mathabane’s life journey almost firsthand.

Kaffir Boy takes you to the cold ground of apartheid. Mark tells you exactly what poverty was like growing up and in a society where unfair laws were the norm. In this book, the reader learns:

• How exactly longterm starvation feels. For example, he discusses how he and his siblings would ofte...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kate by: Professor James Meriwether

I first read this book in college, when it was assigned reading for a History of Africa course I was taking. Before this book I had a very basic understanding of apartheid in South Africa, but I really had no concept of what it was like for blacks living in that system. Reading this book was seriously an eye-opening experience. First published in 1986 before apartheid was ended, it became a best seller in the US. I tend to see this book as similar to books like Narrative of the Life of Frederick...more I first read this book in college, when it was assigned reading for a History of Africa course I was taking. Before this book I had a very basic understanding of apartheid in South Africa, but I really had no concept of what it was like for blacks living in that system. Reading this book was seriously an eye-opening experience. First published in 1986 before apartheid was ended, it became a best seller in the US. I tend to see this book as similar to books like Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which has been considered an important slave narrative because it provided a look at the life of a slave from his own point of view--northerners who had not had first-hand exposure to slavery had their eyes opened by Douglass's memoir. I think this book probably served the same purpose at the time it was published--Americans' eyes were really opened to the horrors of life in apartheid South Africa. I know that's what it did for me.

Mathabane's family had to deal with so many regulations and rules, all while dealing with a corrupt political system and living in an Alexandria ghetto at the same time. Inability to pay the poll tax or tribal tax, or not having the money to bribe a policeman could result in being sentenced to hard labor. Unemployment resulted in his father being imprisoned for a year. His family had to scavenge for food at the garbage dump, and some young boys sold their bodies for food and money. Despite this reality, Mathabane excels in school, and then becomes a skilled tennis player, which provides him with a way out of South Africa. But having these talents and a scholarship offer from an American college doesn't make it easy for him to leave. The government seems so corrupt in its slow-moving process of granting him a passport, though his supporters were able to grease enough palms to get him to America in time for the first day of school.

This book was really awe-inspiring. Mathabane was up against unimaginable odds in his quest to break free from South Africa. But even as he said farewell to his country and family, he still felt he would never break away from his culture or his country. "Deep within me, I knew that I could never really leave South Africa or Alexandra. I was Alexandra, I was South Africa" (348).

This book has been challenged and banned in several school districts for a very short scene that depicts child prostitution and planned sodomy. When I read the book for the first time, I was shocked by the scene, but it wasn't a scene that stood out to me from the rest of the book, and by no means was it titillating or did it glorify what was being depicted. It served to underline what the book had been repeating over and over--that life in the Alexandria ghetto and in apartheid South Africa was anything but a walk in the park. People were driven to desperate and horrifying measures to survive, and the scene portrays the terror and helplessness that young children must have felt in that place and time. I don't think the scene in question is ban-worthy, but it is worth considering a child's maturity level before having them dive into it. I don't think it would be too much for high schoolers, and I think the book overall provides wonderful discussion opportunities. Kaffir Boy deserves to become a classic for portraying life in apartheid South Africa in an authentic and eye-opening way. It is too important of a book to be tossed in the trash bin.(less)

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Feb 21, 2010 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this with one of my 9th graders who had already read "Cry, the Beloved Country", and we both really liked it. It complemented class discussions about CTBC well because it discusses many of the same places, specifically the Johannesburg ghetto of Alexandra, but this book is set 30 years later than Paton's and it's nonfiction. Written before apartheid ended, this book was clearly trying to make a wider audience aware of the brutal conditions that existed for blacks in South Africa, and on t...more

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Dec 20, 2009 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the very start of this amazingly well told memoir, Mark describes vivid descriptions of himself as a small boy, lying awake in the darkness on a piece of cardboard, "afraid to sleep lest nightmares of black people in a pool of blood would plague him." Mark's despair, anger, and hopelessness rise to the top as he describes his family's poverty and raids of black policemen led by white policemen in the ghetto of apartheid South Africa. As a very young child, Mark watches his naked father bein...more From the very start of this amazingly well told memoir, Mark describes vivid descriptions of himself as a small boy, lying awake in the darkness on a piece of cardboard, "afraid to sleep lest nightmares of black people in a pool of blood would plague him." Mark's despair, anger, and hopelessness rise to the top as he describes his family's poverty and raids of black policemen led by white policemen in the ghetto of apartheid South Africa. As a very young child, Mark watches his naked father being humiliated by the Alexandria police in his own home. His family's papers are not in order. Every black person needs a "pass" to walk around the neighborhood. Mark's family, like most families, are living "illegally" in the Alexandria ghetto. His family is hungry, resorting to eating lucusts, and the blood soup of worms and cows. Mark's bitterness is justified as the apartheid laws wear down his family and the black members of the ghetto every day of their lives. Mark's dad is a gambler and alcoholic. Most "kaffir" boys in the ghetto become gang members in order to survive. Mark sees his share of death, blacks fighting blacks. Mark plays soccer in the ghetto to postpone his hunger pains. His mom and granny work endlessly to help pay for Mark to become a student in school. He is beaten by canes until he is black and blue because his family can not afford to buy him the necessary uniform and books. Even with all of the indignities Mark has to bear, he finishes school with top honors and becomes a good enough tennis player to get into an American University on a full scholarship. Ironically, it is the white people outside of the ghetto who help Mark attain his dreams. Mark helps affluent white people in South Africa understand the black man's plight, living in the ghetto. It is the apartheid laws and supporters who continue to separate the blacks from the whites and continue the beliefs that make the white people fearful of blacks, and visa versa. Through the lens of a "Kaffir" boy, we find out the authentic and detailed plight of South African apartheid ghetto life. (less)

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Apr 21, 2009 Samhuang21 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kaffir is a bad word that whites call to the blacks in the South Africa. This is a true story of what happen in the apartheid. I really enjoy reading this book because I interesting in what happen to the black people. At that time, they were in the apartheid.
In the story, Mark Mathabane is one of the blacks live in the cruel streets of South Africa. Whites tread very bad to the blacks. They don’t even let the black people goes near the whites. White people don't care about blacks at all. They we...more Kaffir is a bad word that whites call to the blacks in the South Africa. This is a true story of what happen in the apartheid. I really enjoy reading this book because I interesting in what happen to the black people. At that time, they were in the apartheid.
In the story, Mark Mathabane is one of the blacks live in the cruel streets of South Africa. Whites tread very bad to the blacks. They don’t even let the black people goes near the whites. White people don't care about blacks at all. They were rude to them. They just like the underdog to the white society. Mark’s mom wanted to change it. Maybe for stop the apartheid, so they can have peace again. For the struggle and fight for freedom, knowledge is the only choice to make changes. In this kind of situation, it is hard to get in a school because he is black. Mark’s mother is the one help him to find the school. She was coming back and forth to the office looking for the chance. Mark studies very hard, so the not just be the top of his class, but even moves on college out of South Africa. After Mark went to America, he tried to let more people know about what happen to blacks live in the hopelessness of apartheid, so he wrote a book called Kaffir Boy. Whites think the blacks are very dirty. They are not the same as us. What Mark is tiring to say is that everyone in the world is equal. The apartheid must end and should not happen again. The apartheid was end at 1994. The peace once again comes back to South African. Mark Mathabane is now live in US. He still does things for the blacks. This is what his mother wants him to be, her hope and pride. Parents are very important to lead their children to the good way. If Mark Mathabane don’t had parents, he may still be the one as other blacks, stay in the same place without hope.
The book is very good example to a lot of people. You can see even in the really bad situation, just don't lose your hope. Never give up because we still have chances. This is why I think the novel is good. We should learn about this.
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Apr 15, 2009 Max rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-2

Kaffir Boy was a memoir about a South African kid who witnessed several genuine horrors of the possible chaos in the world due to Apartheid. This book is not an autobiography due to the fact this book is about a memory at Johannesburg. Unless you really enjoyed learning about the Apartheid at school and about poverty and white people, and passes, and colonies, you will not enjoy this book.
The main character of this book is named Johannes, but I'm going to call him Mark because it's easier to ty...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Niko Ohannesian rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book explains the life of Johannes Mathabane, a child raised during apartheid in Alexandra, South Africa. Johannes goes through some rough times during his childhood with all the raids that happen and unfair laws he must follow. A lot of racism took place during apartheid and Johannes experienced it. Johannes decides he wants to focus his life on tennis and school. It turns out he is very good at both and his dream is to go to America for school, very rare for a black in South Africa. After...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Sahar rated it 2 of 5 stars

Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane is not one of my favorite books. I did not like the book because although it gave me a general idea of the life in Africa during apartheid, I did not like the gist of the story. The story was unrealistic and only one of its kind. It is nice to know Johannes became successful and ended well off, but this probably was not so for many other adolescents. The majority of Johannes success came from the whites believing in him. Also Johannes seemed like a self centered boy,...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was 18, and I wouldn't suggest it to anyone younger than that. This book deals with some extremely heavy issues like racism, slavery and apartheid South Africa. I remember feeling really out of the loop because when I read this book I had no idea that South Africa had a period of apartheid. I guess the book is controversial for its description of child prostitution and rape, so I can understand why it has been banned in some schools. I think this book is for a mature audi...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Jody Askaryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The memoir Kaffir Boy begins in apartheid South Africa, told through the point of Mark Mathabane. Mathabane suffered enormous pain throughout his childhood. His abusive father constructed a heavy atmosphere at the house and starvation, freezing, and sickness were daily issues. As the book progresses Mathabane attends school and eventually achieves an acceptable education. He learns to speak English and devotes himself to the sport of tennis. Mathabane was one out of millions who didn't let his w...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Anita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recently I read a couple of books about stories involving black young males struggling to survive in South Africa in this century. Within these stories remained a common theme;deep-rooted bitterness.I was intrigued and wanted to try and understand when and how these feelings arose for such men.

I'd heard of apartheid but do many of us in the western world actually understand the term and the real affects it had on innocent lives? I would expect not many. 'Kaffir Boy' provided me with an excellen...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Chris Saroufim rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is about apartheid South Africa,trust me it wasn't my topic of choice. I didn't really like the book. It was fully understandable but the conflicts Mark Mathabane describes about in his childhood came out way too perfectly. I have noticed this occurrence lately with autobiographies. Many of the events are heart-stopping, I'm not saying that nobody should read this, but you must fully understand the events that you may read about. This book is a perfect example of a book that you can't...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kaffir Boy was a very sad, interesting book. It is interesting while reading this to realize it is really someone’s' life, and that not only him but also many other people were under the same circumstances. Something I questioned myself white reading was how can someone live this life and still have hope, and still be willing to forgive the people who put him down most of him life? In my opinion Mathabane was incredibly strong. In class, not only did we read the book, but we also analyzed some d...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10th-grade-advisory

This book is amazing in terms of the writing style and the truth that lies between history. It is an fascinating book of true events that happened in South Africa. Living in America, i don't really know much about the history of Africa. Until after i read this book, i realized that there is so much poverty going on in countries. The humiliations of human beings just shocks me and makes me wonder how this could be happening in the world. Thinking out of the box, this book actually teaches me a le...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Komal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography, memoirs, nonfiction, south-africa

This tells the story of a young boy in the slums of Soweto, whose dream is to become a tennis player in the backdrop of apartheid South Africa, but the book is more than just his dream, it's about the dream to end apartheid and the push and struggle for equality. I found the backdrop of the story more compelling because it really opened my eyes to what apartheid was like and the dehumanizing and cruelty many black South Africans faced. And yet despite of all the hardships and cruelty he and many...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Jessica Lai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kaffir boy by Mark Mathabane was a story about a black boy who lived in Apartheid South Africa. The book, an autobiography of Johannes'(Mark's real name)first eighteen years of life in a crowded city filled with sickness and despare. He grows up witnessing evil and injustice but yet aspires to be something entirely different, unlike anyone else. Following only his heart's wishes and his dream of being free despite the influence of the people around him, he finally obtains his ticket to freedom....more

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Jun 05, 2011 Mohamed Sall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-2010-2011

This was an amazing book. Johannes, the protagonist, along with his family and other Black South Africans, had to endure the many hardships that came with being a Black South African during the Apartheid. His family constantly struggled, and the father, a selfish, uncaring person, made matters worse. My favorite character was the mother. The mother wanted the children to get educated, and as a result, Johannes had the top marks in the class. The mother went through hell to feed her family and ev...more

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About Mark Mathabane

Mark Mathabane (born Johannes Mathabane) is an author, lecturer, and former collegiate tennis player.

Dr. Mathabane touched the hearts of millions with his sensational autobiography "Kaffir Boy." Telling the true story of his coming of age under apartheid in South Africa, the book won a prestigious Christopher Award, rose to No. 3 on The New York Times best-sellers list and to No. 1 on the Washingt...more

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Books by Mark Mathabane

Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid

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Kaffir Boy: And Related Readings (Literature Connections) (Literature connections)

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“Voracious reading was like an anesthesia, numbing me to the harsh life around me.” — 10 people liked it

“I think my mother's and Granny's storytelling had had the same effect upon me when a child, as the reading of books: my mind was stimulated, my creativity encouraged.” — 7 people liked it

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