Ephraim Ngatane was born in Maseru, Lesotho in 1938. As a child of 7 he moved to Soweto to attend school. He must have shown great artistic talent early on, because from the age of about 14, he was sent to learn from a series of excellent art teachers. The first was Cecil Skotnes, who taught him for two years from 1952 at the famous Polly Street Art Centre. Durant Sihlali then taught him for another two years, followed by Reverend Duncan Hall at St Peter’s 

Secondary School.

Like George Pemba, Ephraim Ngatane later became an art teacher. He had other talents too: he is said to have been a good boxer in his youth, and he played several instruments, including the saxophone and penny whistle.

Ngatane experimented with all kinds of painting and drawing media: oil paint, gouache, ink, charcoal. He worked in subtle colours. His paintings usually captured the bustle and energy of township life, though some were portraits and figure studies. Sometimes his imagery was highly realistic, and at other times it came closer to a kind of expressive abstraction. He would sometimes use expressive brush marks, but they were always sensitive and observant. Note the change of texture and brushstroke, for example, from the jacket collar and sleeve, to the jersey, to the face.

He had many solo exhibitions, exhibiting very successfully in Cape town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. But he died at the very early age of 33, sadly cutting short a career of great promise.