He worked as an interpreter in the law courts of the old South Africa, a radio announcer, a salesperson for a publishing company, a civil servant in the homeland government structures, a lecturer at Unisa, an Editor in Chief of the Greater Dictionary of isiXhosa at Fort Hare, before joining Rhodes University as Professor and Head of the isiXhosa Department.
He grew up in the districts of Middelburg and Cradock where he passed the then Junior Certificate and started working in the South Africa civil service as court interpreter clerk in various towns.
He joined the South African Broadcasting Corporation as an announcer, producer and translator at the King William’s Town studios in 1969.
His writings cover all genres – novels, short stories, essays, poetry, drama and translation.
His works include He is an Anglican priest, archdeacon and canon in the Diocese of Grahamstown and is the rector (self supporting) of the parish of St. Andrew Ginsberg and St. James Peddie.