The back-row player is leaving Glasgow in the belief that a spell in his native country will boost his career. His move to the Golden Lions has been fully endorsed by Scotland head coach Matt Williams.
Roly is leaving Glasgow only two weeks after being named as one of their contracted players for the forthcoming season.
"Matt, the Glasgow coaches and myself shared the view that I had not been getting enough game time with Glasgow and that I had not been able to build up any level of consistency," said Roly. "The fact that there are several breakaway forwards competing for places in the Glasgow squad means that the same situation could happen again, so it was decided to make a break.
"There was a possibility at one point that I would join up with Borders, but for various reasons that fell through. And the decision about Glasgow was made so late that there was virtually no opportunity to get anything fixed up in Scotland or in the UK.
"I will be involved in the Golden Lions Currie Cup campaign. That will give me the game-time I need and if things go to plan then I could be facing the Sharks in Durban next weekend, which would be a brilliant start since my parents come from that part of South Africa and it would be an opportunity for them to see me play."
Roly. who won his first cap against Tonga on the wing and scoring a try with his first touch of the ball, would undoubtedly have faced stiff competition for a back row slot in the Glasgow line up featuring Test men Cammy Mather, Jon Petrie and Donnie Macfadyen.
Meanwhile, the Golden Lions, who play out of Ellis Park in Johannesburg, have a horrendous injury list with several Springboks sidelined.
When the Currie Cup finishes in November, Roly intends to return to Scotland.
"I feel that things will be a lot more settled then than they are now and hopefully I will have my game back to where I want it to be. At that point I will be looking for an opportunity to get back into the game here at a professional level."
Read more in this month's Viewpoint