Daniel Sefudi Rakgoathe was born in 1937 in Randfontein. in the then Transvaal. He received his early art training at the Ndaleni Art School, after which he taught in primary and high schools in the Transvaal.

In 1969, I made arrangements through the Institute of Race Relations for Rakgoathe to go to Rorke's Drift to do practical work for his Fine Arts degree through the University of South Africa. The African Art Centre's close association with him developed during this time, and an exhibition of his linocuts was held at the Centre in 1974.

He also kept in touch with Lorna Peirson, the Principal of the Ndaleni Art School during the time he was there. At some point he left with her a comprehensive series of linocut prints dating from 1968 to 1974.

Rakgoathe's idea was that a book should be made of his work. Peirson did not feel able to undertake this task and brought the roll of prints to the African Art Centre. His hope that I might be able to pursue the idea did not eventuate and the prints were stored away.

He went on to teach at the Jubilee Art Centre in Johannesburg and then at the Mofolo Art Centre until 1976, when he enrolled at the University of Fort Hare. He completed his BA Fine Arts in 1978 followed by an Honours degree in 1979 - a unique achievement for a black artist at the time. He was awarded a Fullbright Scholarship in 1983 and obtained an MA in African Studies at the University of California.

His last appointment in a long teaching career was to the Bophuthatswana College of Education in 1984. He returned to his home in Orlando in 1986, when his eye sight began to fail due to diabetes.

The safekeeping of the valuable Rakgoathe prints the Art Centre stored proved worthwhile when, after seeing them, Jill Addleson, Director of the Durban Art Gallery, arranged an exhibition titled A Collection Rediscovered in 1992. Though Rakgoathe had gone blind by then, he flew down from Johannesburg for the opening, which was performed by his friend and mentor Professor EJ dejager of Fort Hare.

Rakgoathe's fine work has been exhibited extensively in South Africa and overseas, including at the Brooklyn Museum and Public Library, and in New York at the Black South African Contemporary Graphics Exhibition.