[1] He matriculated at Ngwana-Mohube High School and studied law at the University of the North,[2] completing a BProc in 1977.
[1] After he was admitted as an attorney in February 1980,[2] Makgoba worked at the firm of Henstock and Green while also lecturing in criminal law part-time at his alma mater.
[1] He moved to Nelspruit for a stint but returned to Polokwane in 1984 and practised there for the next two decades, first on his own account and then at the firm of Makgoba, Kgomo and Makgeleng Attorneys from 1993.
[12] During his tenure in the judge presidency, he was the subject of several minor scandals,[13][14] including multiple complaints against him at the Judicial Service Commission.
[15][16] He retired in late 2022, with a farewell function in December attended by Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha.