He became the fifth Captain of the mixed-race Orlam Afrikaners in South-West Africa, after the death of his father in 1861.
He became leader of the Orlams while still in his twenties, at a time when his people were in constant conflict with the Herero over land and cattle but did not have the support of the European traders in Otjimbingwe, particularly Karl Johan Andersson and Frederick Green.
They considered that the war was bad for trade, and helped organising and leading the Herero army.
Christian Afrikaner died in an attack on Maharero's settlement at Otjimbingwe on 15 June 1863.
This incident marked the beginning of the erosion of power of the Orlam Afrikaners.