Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whānau ia ki Burnshill i te tau 1820, i taua wā tonu te rangatiratanga o ngā whenua o Ngāti Xhosa. I mate tona papa a Ngqika (na wai i tapaina te ingoa o te whanau Ngqika katoa o Xhosa) i te tau 1829 i te mea he tamariki tonu a Sandile, a ko Maqoma, te tuakana o Sandile, i mahi hei Regent tae noa ki te 1872 i te wa i whakauruhia ai a Sandile hei Kingi. I whānau mai a Sandile me tētahi waewae poto ake i tētahi, nā reira he uaua ki a ia te haere, engari he wāhi nui tonu tana mahi i roto i te
Ngā Pakanga o te Taitapa. Kua roa te wehewehe o te iwi Xhosa i waenga i te taha rawhiti o Gcaleka (i whakahaeretia i taua wa e Sarhili) me Sandile's Rharhabe ki te hauauru. Heoi ko Sarhili, e mohiotia ana ko "Kreli", he mahi rite ki te kingi nui o nga Xhosa katoa.