Natalie Knight took Kgope into her gallery stable at Norman Catherine’s recommendation, championing his work through exhibitions including Ndebele Images – Then and Now at the National Art Club in Gramercy Park, New York, and a film, Through Ndebele Eyes, documenting the Ndebele influences central to his practice.

Marylin Martin, then Head of the South African National Gallery in Cape Town, recognised Kgope’s significance and acquired several of his works for the museum. He is also represented in the Pretoria Art Museum, WAM, and JAG. Ultimately Kgope gained greater recognition outside South Africa than within it, with work held in the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada), a mural in Atlanta, USA, and numerous private collections internationally.

Despite personal hardships and a bipolar diagnosis, his talent was undeniable. Thomas Kgope passed away in 2007, leaving a body of work that powerfully bridges Ndebele cultural identity with a truly unique artistic voice.