Text in Afrikaans / Abstracts in Afrikaans, English and seSotho / Die ikoniese konsep van die spelende mens (homo ludens) - soos verwoord deur Johan Huizinga – verkry opnuut trefkrag weens ʼn hedendaagse bekoring met virtuele spel. Nel (2014; 2015a; 2015b), Burger (2013), Viljoen (2011; 2013), Anker (2011) en Barnes (2014) bevind dat die eietydse fassinasie met ludieke spel uitdrukking vind in die narratiewe struktuur van verskeie Afrikaanse literêre tekste. Hierdie navorsingsverslag fokus op drie kritieke ontwikkelingsfases van spel: pre-Huizinga, Huizinga en post-Huizinga. Rigtinggewende antieke Griekse spelkonsepte van Heraklitus en Plato, waarop voortgebou is deur Huizinga (1949; 1951), asook die revisionistiese idees van Caillois (1961) word benut as teoretiese steierwerk vir ʼn lesing van die literêre speldiskoers in Klimtol (Van Heerden 2013); Afstande (Sleigh 2010) en Sirkusboere (Loots 2011). Die beskrywing en interpretasie van spelmerkers lei daartoe dat nie net die narratiewe struktuur ín die romans nie, maar ook die romans sélf, as vorm van kultuurskeppende spel beskou kan word. / Due to contemporary fascination with virtual games, the seminal concept of the playing person (homo ludens) − as articulated by Huizinga – has regained prominence. Nel (2014; 2015a; 2015b), Burger (2013), Viljoen (2011; 2013), Anker (2011) and Barnes (2014) observe a preoccupation with ludics in the narrative structure of various Afrikaans literary texts. This report focuses on three critical developmental stages of play: pre-Huizinga, Huizinga and post-Huizinga. Classic hypotheses by Heraclitus and Plato that manifested in Huizinga's (1949; 1950) notions on the play-element in culture as well as revisionist ideas by Caillois (1961) will be utilised as theoretical framework for an exploration of the ludic discourse in Klimtol (Van Heerden 2013), Afstande (Sleigh 2010) and Sirkusboere (Loots 2011). The description and interpretation of various play markers signify that not only the narrative structure of the novels, but the novels themselves, might be regarded as ludic play that shapes culture. / Ka ntlha ya kgatlhego ya ga jaana ya metshamekopono, mogopolo wa boitshimololedi wa motho yo o tshamekang (homo ludens) - jaaka o tlhalositswe ke Huizinga – o boetse o botlhokwa. Nel (2014; 2015a; 2015b), Burger (2013), Viljoen (2011; 2013), Anker (2011) le Barnes (2014) ba ela tlhoko metshamekwane ya popego ya puo mo dikwalong di le mmalwa tsa Afrikaans. Pegelo eno e totile dikgato di le tharo tsa botlhokwa tsa go gola ga motshameko: pele ga Huizinga, ka nako ya Huizinga le morago ga Huizinga. Tiori ya tlelasiki ya ga Heraclitus le Plato e e tlhageletseng mo megopolong ya ga Huizinga (1949; 1950) e e malebana le elemente ya motshameko mo setsong gammogo le megopolo ya poeletso ya ga Caillois (1961) di tlaa dirisiwa jaaka letlhomeso la tiori go sekaseka puisano e e ka ga motshamekwane mo Klimtol (Van Heerden 2013), Afstande (Sleigh 2010) le Sirkusboere (Loots 2011). Tlhaloso le thanolo ya batlhami ba ba farologaneng ba metshameko e bontsha gore fa se fela popego ya kanelo ya dipadi e e bopang setso, mme dipadi ka botsona di ka tsewa e le metshamekwana e e bopang setso. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)