Sithole was one of the finest exponents of the pennywhistle,[2] his music taking inspiration from the kwela and mbaqanga styles.
Early in his career he played with the Kwela Kids in Cape Town and later with Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse in the Beaters in Johannesburg.
Sithole's prowess as a musician did not translate into financial success and by the late 1990s he was penniless, busking on the streets of Cape Town.
A stint as musician-in-residence at the District Six Museum in Cape Town followed, ending as his health (compromised by heavy smoking) rapidly declined.
Sithole was, with his brother Joshua, also a musician, immortalised in the painting Penny Whistlers by Vladimir Tretchikoff.