Matthys Gerhardus Smith

Roots and private life

Education and work

Writer

• Smith is best known for writing youth series. Trompie and Saartjie books are his bestsellers. The first series is called Trompie and the second the Saartjie. In the Trompie series 33 books were published. This was done between 1950-1970. A movie was made from the Trompie books. André Laubscher played the main character in the film. Anton Goosen sang the theme song. The Saartjie series 24 books were published. He wrote this under his mother’s name Bettie Naude. This was written between 1953-1958. A television series was made from these books in 1989, with Annie Malan playing Saartjie.
• Apart from the above series he also wrote the following series in Afrikaans:

• He also wrote in English, two series of books

• Adult fiction – This he wrote under the name M.G. Smith in Afrikaans

• Non-fiction