Coetzee, "who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider", will take home the prize sum of 10 million kronor (1.11 million euros, 1.3 million dollars), the jury of the Swedish Academy said.

Coetzee's editor in Britain, Jeff Mulligan, said the white South African "was delighted, very delighted" to have won the prize, but said the author, who is known to be shun the limelight, would not give interviews himself.

"It's exciting news, he really deserves it," Mulligan told Swedish news agency TT.

Coetzee is the sixth South African to win a Nobel Prize, and the second to win the Literature Prize 12 years after fellow South African Nadine Gordimer took home the prestigious award.

A fundamental theme in his novels is his country's former apartheid system, which in his view "could arise anywhere", the jury said.

Although Coetzee's name had circulating in the feverish run-up to Thursday's announcement, Syrian-born poet Adonis had also been seen as a strong contender for the award, which kicks off the season of Nobel prizes.

Next week will see the awards made for outstanding contributions in the world of science and economics, ending in Oslo on October 10 when the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced.

Coeztee's breakthrough came in 1980 with the novel "Waiting for the Barbarians". His international heavyweight status was confirmed three years later when he was awarded Britain's Booker Prize for "Life and Times of Michael K".

He became the first author to be awarded the Booker Prize a second time, for "Disgrace", in 1999.

His novels are characterised by well-crafted composition, pregnant dialogue and analytical brilliance, the jury said.

But it also called 63-year-old Coetzee "ruthless in his criticism of the cruel rationalism and cosmetic morality of western civilisation."

In addition to novels, Coetzee has also published translations and worked as a literary critic.

John Maxwell Coetzee was born in 1940 in Cape Town. His background is both German and English. In 2002, he moved to Australia where he is attached to the University of Adelaide.

Despite his string of international awards, Coetzee is known to live in solitude and even declined to travel to London after making history by being twice awarded the Booker Prize.