Born in Cape Town in 1939, he grew up in Langa. Early on he learned from musicians such as George Castle (bass), Banzi Bangani (trumpet), Morris Goldberg (alto) and the drummers Columbus Phakamile Joya and Maurice Gawronsky. He teamed up with "Dan Boy" Danayi (alto) and Martin "Lilly" Mgijima and had the opportunity to jam and perform with Cups Nkanuka (tenor) and his Peninsula Stars.

In 1959 he joined fellow Cape musicians Dollar Brand and Johnny Gertze on a trip to Johannesburg where together with Kippie Moeketsi, Jonas Gwangwa and Hugh Masekela they formed the legendary Jazz Epistles. The group was committed to serious, progressive jazz and recorded their ground breaking album.Less