He established the large and powerful Makololo nation in what is now southwestern Zambia after an arduous migration of over 1200 kilometres from the clan's ancestral lands, near modern day Biddulphsberg, in the Free State province of South Africa .
Facing constant attacks and losing all their cattle during the early years of the Mfecane, Sebetwane urged his people to leave their homeland: "My masters, you see that the world is collapsing.
Pushed north by the advancing Ndebele, the Kololo suffered a catastrophic defeat at Dithubaruba in 1826 to a coalition of forces headed by the Ngwaketse chief Sebego I.
He died on July 7, 1851, shortly after meeting at Linyati, his capital, the missionary explorer David Livingstone, with whom he developed a warm friendship.
Even those who had been conquered by him and eventually fled his kingdom maintained that he was an extremely warm leader: Sebetwane "loved people very much even if they were his victims.