Prince Somcuba was a Swazi prince, the senior son of King Sobhuza I from his first wife, LaMndzebele. He was instrumental during the early reign of King Mswati II, his younger half-brother, and assisted Mswati during a power struggle with their brothers Prince Fokoti and Prince Malambule.

His mother was LaMndzebele. Also the grandmother of his father King Sobhuza I (King Ndvungunye's mother Lomvula) was a Mndzebele. Somcuba's younger brother was Prince Londvubela, born around 1803, and died at the Battle of Lubuya in 1839. He first moved the Ludlambedlu, Richards,"Chiefs" 2000 He first moved Tsibeni near Barberton.

Mswati forces attacked him near Queen's River (Umgwenyane). He built a homestead under the permission of the Boers between Machadodorp and Nelspruit and moved the Ludlambedlu to. His other house was near the Ngwenezi, the tributary of Mgwenya River and below the Manekelele Mountain. His indvuna was Sidwala Shongwe, after whom the Sudwala Caves was named. This is caves where Somcuba danced Incwala.

Somcuba is known for forging a relationship between the Swazi kingdom and Boer settlers and the herdman of Mswati's Ludlambedlu ("royal cattle ") that grazed at a royal post in the present-day Mooiplaas village of South Africa and at what was then called 'Eludlwambedluni' ("at place of the Ludlambedlu") or officially 'Nkhaba Lendzala '.

When King Sobhuza I died in 1836, Mswati II was too young to ascend the throne, at age 12, and therefore Prince Malambule and Queen Lojiba Simelane acted as regent until Mswati had matured to rule in his own right in 1840 and Somcuba supported their regency alongside Sobhuza's brother, Prince Malunge.

Sobhuza's eldest son, Prince Fokoti protested his exclusion from the succession committee and tried to stage a coup but was defeated by a military campaign led by Somcuba.

And during a power struggle between Mswati and Malambule during the time when Malambule was supposed to relinquish power to Mswati in 1840, Somcuba once more led a military campaign that pushed him off the royal family and sought refuge with Zulu King Mpande together with his brothers, Prince Tsekwane and Prince Sidvubelo.

After the fights, Somcuba was rewarded by Mswati to look after the Ludlambedlu and he established a royal kraal in west of capital, in present-day Mooiplaas in Mpumalanga, called Eludlambedlwini ("at the place of the Ludlambedlu"), where the Ludlambedlu grazed.

After Mswati became king in 1840, the first white settlers arrived in Swaziland.

He played a major political and military role when the monarch was faced with a succession dispute during King Mswati II's takeover. Somcuba sided and assisted Mswati II during a power struggle from 1840 when he was engaged in succession disputes with his elder half-brother Prince Malambule and Prince Fokoti. Somcuba led a military campaign that defeated them, and forced them into exile in Zulu Kingdom under King Mpande and took control of the royal cattle, called Ludlamddlu following Malambule and Fokoti's flight.

He played a major political and military when the monarch was faced with a succession dispute during King Mswati II's takeover.

Somcuba's later rivalry with Mswati II ultimately led to his exile to Boer republic in Lydenburg and eventual execution.

Somcuba led military campaigns, including a rebellion against Mswati II, but was eventually defeated and fled to the Boers for protection.

He was a key figure in Swazi interactions with the Boers, influencing Swazi-Boer relations during the mid-19th century.

His defiance and alliance with the Boers created political instability, making him a significant historical figure.