By Everson Luhanga
- Dan Ndlovu published The Weapon of Dreamers in 2022 and Love Is Blind for the Blind in 2024 despite publisher rejections.
- He won Best Male Author and Best Relationships and Romance Book at the Book Behind Awards on 8 November 2025.
Dan Ndlovu grew up in Verena, Mpumalanga. He started writing in 2011.
Dan joined the RADS peer support school programme that year. The programme taught him confidence, leadership and communication skills.
He later attended a workshop in Bela-Bela, Limpopo. The workshop helped him improve his storytelling.
Dan spoke at church gatherings, school talks and community events in Verena and nearby areas. Radio stations noticed his work. He worked with several radio stations as a presenter and guest speaker.
He also worked with newspapers and magazines. Dan shared motivational stories from his own life.
On 1 December 2015, he performed at a community health and safety event at the old Verena Community Hall. Dan did a solo performance. He did not know it was a competition. He won first place.
Money was a problem. Publishers turned him away. Dan kept going with his dream.
In 2022, he published his first book. The book is called The Weapon of Dreamers. It won Best Inspirational and Motivational Book at The Book Behind Award 2023. That same year, Dan got recognition at the AfriCAN Honoree Authors Awards.
His second book came out in 2024. It is called Love Is Blind for the Blind. The book is about love, empathy and relationships.
In 2025, Dan received more awards. He won at the AfriCAN Honoree Authors Awards and the Big Up Awards.
On 8 November 2025, he won Best Male Author at the Book Behind Awards. He also won Best Relationships and Romance Book.
Dan is known to readers as Danny Soc.
Pictured above: Dan Ndlovu.
Image source: Supplied
