Listen To Your Footsteps

• Siphiwe Mhlambi, A Life Built Frame by Frame

  Siphiwe Mhlambi’s story begins with rupture. Abandoned as a child, raised without answers, and left to assemble a sense of belonging from fragments, he discovered a camera at thirteen and found more than a hobby. He found a lifeline. A discipline. A language. And eventually, a world that would let him build himself, frame by frame.Today, Siphiwe stands as one of South Africa’s most respected documentary and jazz photographers, a quiet custodian of history whose images have travelled far beyond the stages and streets where they were born. His archive does more than capture musicians or moments. It preserves a culture, honours overlooked lives, and restores dignity to stories that might otherwise vanish.In this powerful episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Siphiwe reflects on:How childhood abandonment shaped his relationship with silence, searching and storytellingThe moment a camera became both structure and salvationWhy jazz is not just a genre but a philosophy that shaped his way of seeingHis role as an archivist of South African culture and why documentation is a form of justiceThe mentors, communities and chosen family who gave him rootsThe emotional labour of photographing other people’s truths while confronting his ownSiphiwe speaks with humility, precision and emotional clarity, offering a rare look into a life shaped by creative resilience. His reflections remind us that healing is slow work, artistry takes courage, and legacy is built through consistent, deliberate witnessing.Whether you know his photographs or meet him here for the first time, this episode reveals the human story behind the lens: a boy becoming a man, a seeker becoming an archivist,and an artist learning to belong.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Siphiwe on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , or visit ⁠siphiwemhlambi.com⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠⁠⁠⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

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• Ntsiki Mkhize, Designing A Life Of Social Impact

  From natural hair blogging before it was a movement to podcasting long before it was mainstream, Ntsiki Mkhize has spent her entire life arriving in spaces early.Today she is a social entrepreneur, author, speaker, mentor, and founder of Mentor, a global mentorship community for women navigating entrepreneurship, leadership, and social impact. But her story did not begin in boardrooms or ecosystems. It started at a family table where she was encouraged to question everything, design her own path and live “on purpose, on purpose.”In this episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Ntsiki opens up about:Growing up with young parents who created room for her voice, her ideas and her tenacityWhy she entered Miss South Africa as a teenager and later returned with an afro that challenged the norms of beauty and representationWhat it means to be “ahead of the curve” and why timing, not talent, often determines whether an idea succeeds The truth about burnout, reinvention, and rebuilding a mentorship ecosystem from scratch during COVIDHow her global mentorship platform, book, magazine and corporate work converge into a deeper purpose centred on women, youth, entrepreneurship and inclusionThe role mentors have played in her evolution and how individuals and organisations can structure mentorship that actually transforms livesWhy she is now being invited into tech, finance and policy spaces and what excites her about becoming a woman shaping Africa’s futureThe healing and grounding she found through swimming and free-diving after a traumatic experienceWhether she is building communities, writing stories, designing ecosystems or diving ten metres underwater to relearn trust in her body, Ntsiki shows that purpose is not an accident. It is a deliberate act. A daily alignment. A way of being.This conversation is a blueprint for anyone trying to navigate purpose, timing, ambition and reinvention.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Ntsiki on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , or visit ntsikim.co.zaSubscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by ⁠⁠⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠⁠⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

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• Annicia Manyaapelo, Women Who Collect Our Futures Together

  Annicia Manyaapelo has spent her life shaping spaces where African creativity is seen, protected, and valued. As the founder of NichLuxe and creator of Women Who Collect, she is rewriting the rules of access, showing that art is not a gated world but a living archive of who we are and who we dare to become.In this expansive episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Annicia reflects on: How childhood textures, stories, and rituals shaped her identity as a makerWhy the traditional art world often feels coded and inaccessible, and how she chooses to redesign the room instead of asking for entryThe birth of Women Who Collect and why African women are becoming the custodians of tomorrow’s cultural memoryWhat African luxury really means when it is defined by us, and rooted in depth, time, craft, and careThe emotional labour of supporting artists and why care is a creative technologyHow collecting becomes a form of storytelling, preservation, and future building Annicia speaks with clarity, warmth, and intention about identity, legacy, and the responsibility we carry when we choose what to honour. This is a conversation for anyone dreaming about art, access, ownership, and the systems African women are quietly reshaping across the world.Whether you know her as a strategist, curator, collector, or cultural thinker, this episode reveals the depth of a woman working to build futures where African creativity can thrive without apology.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Wandile on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠FacebookSubscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by ⁠⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

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• Charl Blignaut, Writing The Culture We Live

  For more than three decades, Charl Blignaut has chronicled South Africa’s cultural heartbeat. As a journalist, editor, and critic, he has written the stories that have defined how we see ourselves, from underground movements to mainstream revolutions, from the birth of kwaito to the rise of amapiano, from the rise of representation to the reckoning of responsibility.In this deeply reflective conversation with Kojo Baffoe, Charl explores how identity, queerness, and conscience have shaped his craft and his sense of duty as a storyteller. He speaks candidly about growing up in a conservative farming community, finding refuge in writing, and becoming a voice for culture that refuses to be simplified.Listeners will hear Charl unpack:Why he believes journalism is an act of service, not performance.The relationship between technology, storytelling, and truth in a fast-changing world.How South African pop culture continues to emerge from the underground and challenge power.The tension between long-form storytelling and the short-form algorithm, and why both matter.His reflections on queerness as lens, ethics as compass, and complexity as resistance.What he’s learned about courage, craft, and care after years of covering art, politics, and power.Charl’s conversation is a masterclass in cultural consciousness; part history, part reflection, and part blueprint for anyone who still believes words can change the world.Whether you know him as the City Press arts editor, the journalist who championed South African film and visual art, or the critic who insists that culture is our real economy, this is a rare portrait of a man who has lived his truth through language.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Wandile on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Facebook, or catch up on his writings at muckrack.com/charl-blignautSubscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by ⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania

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• Sewela Langeni, Building Community Through Books

  From a quiet corner of Melville’s 27 Boxes, Sewela Langeni has built more than just a bookshop. Through Book Circle Capital, she has created a home for African stories and the people who love them; a space where conversation, curiosity, and connection meet between the shelves.In this intimate episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, Sewela reflects on:The journey of turning Book Circle Capital into a cultural hub rooted in African literature.Writing her debut children’s book Making Friends With Feelings and why it focuses on helping boys express their emotions.The importance of representation in children’s stories and the lessons she’s learning as both parent and author.How she balances entrepreneurship, family life, and a full-time career while nurturing community.The realities of South Africa’s publishing landscape and why patience and authenticity matter more than pace and hype.Grounded, thoughtful, and full of quiet wisdom, this conversation explores what it means to build something meaningful through words and how books can become bridges between generations.Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a reader, or a dreamer trying to start your own creative venture, Sewela Langeni’s story offers both comfort and courage.Listen now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Afripods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or wherever you get your podcasts.You can find the latest from Wandile on the following platforms:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠bookcapital.co.za⁠Subscribe to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Show Music by ⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania⁠

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