Itshelo yigama lesiZulu soqobo elisho ukuthi "inoveli" okuwumfakela ovela egameni lesiNgisi elithi "novel". Itshelo yincwadi equkethe endaba eqanjiwe wumlobi wayo ehlosa ukuthokozisa umfundi ekuyixoxeni. Itshelo lokuqala elabhalwa eMzansi Afrika yi-Story Of An African Farm (1883) nguOlive Schreiner, kodwa elokuqala elabhalwa ngowomdabu eMzansi Afrika kwakuyi-An African Tragedy nguRolfes Robert Reginald Dhlomo okwashicilelwa onyakeni lwe-1928. Itshelo lodumo, Mhudi, elabhalwa nguSolomon Tshekiso Plaatje labe selibhaliwe ngonyaka we-1920 kodwa alaphumanga laze lashicilelwa ngowe-1930.