Maphalla won his first major literary prize in 1980, in the Sesotho poetry competition of the Radio Bantu Sesotho Service, now known as Lesedi FM.
Maphalla o gapile sekgele sa gagwe sa ntlha se segolo sa dikwalo ka 1980, mo kgaisanong ya poko ya Sesotho ya tirelo ya Radio Bantu Sesotho, e jaanong e bidiwang Lesedi FM.