where the Reverend William Govan schooled him . It was Reverend Govan , who , on returning to Scotland , offered to take my father with him . My father , thus , ended up in Scotland as a teenager and attended Normal School in Glasgow . It was during his time in Scotland that he met my mother , who retained very strong links to her country of birth , a country where my siblings and I lived and were schooled .
Medicine is not your only interest and passion . What else ?
I grew up in a very religious household . My father , Tiyo , was , after all , the first ordained Xhosa minister of the United Presbyterian Church . In a way , I followed in my father ’ s footsteps and was also ordained as a minister in 1885 . I established the Miller Mission in Elliotdale , Bomvanaland , in 1887 , where I served as a medical missionary until 1903 .
You are not the only family member who was a pioneer in their field . Tell us more .
Where to begin ? My father , Tiyo , probably set the example of what can be done . Apart from being a minister , he translated John Bunyan ’ s The Pilgrim ’ s Progress into Xhosa and also served on the advisory board to revise the Xhosa Bible .
My brother , Kirkland , became the first black lawyer in South Africa and later acted as a magistrate and helped found the ANC . At the same time , Jotello ( also a brother ) became the first black veterinarian in South Africa . He helped eradicate rinderpest in the country . I know he even met Pres . Paul Kruger at one time .
My sister Jessie could sing beautifully . She studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Milan Conservatory in Italy as a contralto singer .
The story of William Anderson Soga , his brother , Jotello , and eight other pioneering graduate professionals are featured in PPS ’ s interactive “ Finding the Forgotten Graduate ” campaign . As part of this campaign , PPS awarded the world ’ s only Posthumous Life Policy™ ( policy after death ) to Soga . The policy has been established to pay tribute to Soga . It will make a R9 million pay-out into the Pioneer Scholarship Fund that will award scholarships on merit to students in Grade 12 and post-matric level regardless of their gender , skin colour or economic background . The pay-out equates to the value the policy would have accumulated had Soga taken a life policy with PPS more than 100 years ago .
Click here to access the interactive campaign . Read more on page 28 to find out how PPS calculated the value of the Posthumous Life Policy
TM .
* This is a fictitious interview and answers are based on various resources , including S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science , The University of Glasgow , Dictionary of African Christian Biography , Amathole Museum , Place of Truth and Gale Onefile : Health and Medicine .
What do you think of life insurance and is it something you would have been interested in ?
Yes , I like the idea of having one ’ s life and professional skills insured and I do believe that had I had the opportunity to invest in such a product , I would likely have done so . In the late 1800s / early 1900s , there were , unfortunately , very few companies offering such products to all South Africans .
What would your message be to young people who are still studying or who have already embarked on their careers ?
I would encourage them to follow their dreams , to work hard and not to allow others to determine their value . I remember the list of notes my father gave me when I was young , with one of his notes of advice to always wait two or more days before answering “ an insulting or irritating message or letter ”. That was , and still is , sound advice .
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