Schapera's life was his work, and he never married. In his later years, Schapera rarely returned to the place of his studies, but did return to Botswana to receive the honorary degree awarded to him by the University of Botswana.Schapera Isaac, Picturing a Colonial Past; The African Photographs by Isaac Schapera, ed. Comaroff et al. (University of Chicago; 2007) Additionally, because of damage to his vocal cords caused by surgery, he withdrew from socializing, though he maintained contact with students to stay up to date with ongoing anthropological studies.
