Trade unionist. An early South African trade union organisers, Kadalie was born in Malawi and arrived in South Africa in 1918. The following year he founded the Industrial and Commercial Union (ICU), later renamed the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union of Africa. It played a significant part in representing workers until divisions led to its disintegration in the early 1930s. Kadalie stayed in South Africa, acting for a time as an ANC provincial organiser, till he died.