Sabit Mukanov was born to a Muslim family in Tauzar Volost of Akmolinsk Oblast (now The North Kazakhstan Region).

Mukanov's earliest novels were Son of Bai (1928), Pure Love (1931), and Temirtas (Iron Stone) (1935).

Mukanov was the author of several novels, such as Botagoz, Syrdaria, the autobiographical trilogy School of life, Flashed Meteor, etc.

He also researched the scientific and literary heritage of Shokan Ualikhanov and Abai Qunanbaiuly and was the first to expound the life and works of the great Kazakh poet Zhambyl Zhabayuly.

In 1974 his ethnographic work "National Heritage" was published posthumously, which included research about ancient folk traditions, shezhire, the social-economical factors and spiritual life of pre-revolutionary Kazakhs.