The Amathole Museum has invited members of the public to attend a special hybrid book launch celebrating a new multi-authored publication on Tiyo Soga.
Titled Tiyo Soga: An African Voice in History, Faith and Freedom, the book will be officially launched on Wednesday April 29, from 11am to 2pm.
The event will be hosted both in person in Cape Town and Qonce, as well as online via Microsoft Teams, allowing wider public participation.
Edited by Dr Joanne Ruth Davis, the publication is described as the first comprehensive scholarly reassessment of Soga in decades.
It brings together leading international voices in SA intellectual history, offering new perspectives on his life, work and legacy.
Rather than presenting Soga as an isolated historical figure, the book repositions him as a dynamic thinker who actively engaged with global ideas, faith and politics.
Davis said the work also introduces two newly discovered photographs of Soga, both found through research linked to the Amathole Museum.
“One is a second image in the well-known series of Soga — this time showing him facing right, not directly at the camera,” she said.
She explained that the photograph was discovered by Stephanie Victor and may have been taken by TW Henderson in Qonce in 1870.
“The second photograph, titled Paramount Xhosa and Gcaleka chief Sarhili (Kreli or Rili), places Soga within a wider political and social network,” Davis said.
“It shows him standing behind Sarhili alongside key historical figures, including his brother Fesile. This is highly significant because it positions Soga not as a lone figure, but as part of a broader intellectual and political landscape.”
Davis said the discovery, linked to research by Camagu Soga who has researched his family for a long time, adds depth to understanding Soga’s role in 19th-century African society and mission work.
She said the book’s international scholarly contribution is also vital.
“Soga was an international traveller who studied and lived in Scotland and worked within global missionary networks.
“He belongs not only to SA history, but to world history,” she said.
Davis said compiling the book came with challenges, including inconsistencies in spelling across historical sources and difficult editorial decisions around sensitive language used in archival material.
“There were also time pressures and multiple rewrites, but the contributors were incredibly committed throughout,” she said.
Despite the challenges, she hopes the publication will serve as a key reference point for future Soga scholarship.
“I hope it helps scholars build on existing research without duplication, and provides a clear foundation for future work,” she said.
The launch will feature a 15-minute keynote address by Dr Nomathamsanqa Tisani, alongside contributions from Davis, Stephanie Victor, series editor André Odendaal, and other scholars including Dr Himal Ramji and Abdud-Dayyaan Badroedin. A panel discussion is also planned.
Light refreshments will be served, with opportunities for networking and book sales.
Davis encouraged young people to attend, saying Soga’s legacy remains deeply relevant.
“He reminds us that we are part of a wider world. His life shows the importance of courage, thought, and following one’s purpose despite adversity,” she said.
