The Add IDEAS Podcast

“In order to help people, we need to understand them.”

In this episode of The Add IDEAS Podcast, Bandile Mndebele sits down with South African disability rights advocate Bongani Mapumulo to explore accessibility, identity, and lived experience.

From navigating public spaces to conversations about masculinity, relationships, education, and innovation, this discussion brings lived experience to the forefront of how societies design systems—and who those systems include or exclude.

Bongani shares both personal insights and professional work advancing assistive technology, inclusive design, and disability innovation in low- and middle-income contexts. The conversation highlights why understanding people and their lived realities is the first step toward meaningful inclusion.

Whether you work in policy, education, design, technology, or simply want to better understand disability and inclusion, this episode challenges us to rethink how access, dignity, and opportunity shape everyday life.

About the Guest
Bongani Mapumulo is a disability rights advocate and researcher focused on inclusive innovation and assistive technology in the Global South.

With academic foundations in Political Science, Sociology, and Social Anthropology from Stellenbosch University, Bongani also holds advanced diplomas in Disability & Rehabilitation and Intercultural Communication.

He pursued a Master of Philosophy in Inclusive Innovation at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, where his research explores how assistive technologies and inclusive design can improve opportunities for students living with disabilities in low-income communities.

Referenced Work
This conversation references the book Physical Disability and Sexuality: Stories from South Africa (2021).

Edited by Xanthe Hunt, Stine Hellum Braathen, Mussa Chiwaula, Mark T. Carew, Poul Rohleder, and Leslie Swartz, and published by Springer Nature under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Bongani’s contributions appear in:
• Chapter 6 — Physical Disability and Masculinity: Hegemony and Exclusion
• Chapter 7 — Bongani’s Story

Notable Thanks
• Carl & Emily Fuchs Foundation
• Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• UCT Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching — One Button Studios

Connect with Bongani Mapumulo
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bongani-mapumulo-828746206/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/bongani.mapumulo.1

Work with Bandile Mndebele
Host Bandile Mndebele is available for speaking engagements, collaborations, workshops, interviews, and partnerships.

Contact:
info@bandilem.com

_____________________
#Accessibility
#DisabilityInclusion
#InclusiveDesign
#DisabilityAwareness
#AddIdeasPodcast

(00:00) - Why this conversation matters

(00:21) - Background

(01:57) - Moving the needle: Where to begin?

(02:46) - Why are some spaces more accessible than others?

(05:50) - Designing better access

(07:17) - A day in the life

(09:22) - The biggest challenges with access

(09:51) - The importance of education

(13:53) - A journey to reasonable accommodation

(16:40) - Who should be leading the education?

(20:43) - Globalising and normalising solutions

(22:19) - In order to help people, we need to understand them

(23:36) - Perspectives and lived experiences matter

(25:34) - The intersections with masculinity and sexuality

(30:14) - A dating life experience

(32:56) - Frequent questions to be mindful of

(34:42) - Being the only one

(38:28) - Personal Story

(45:33) - Broadening positive representation and normalising inclusion

(48:31) - The importance of role models and mentors

(51:24) - Most compelling message: the element of surprise

(54:18) - Closing

"In order to help people, we need to understand them."Learn how Bongani Mapumulo is transforming accessibility and innovation for students living with disabilities in low-income communities in the Global South on this podcast conversation featuring disability rights, inclusive innovation, and assistive technology trends.

🎙️ About This Episode
In this episode, we talk to Bongani Mapumulo, a leading disability rights advocate and champion of inclusive innovation in South Africa. Bongani shares a personal and professional journey shaped by systemic challenges, transformative learning, and a passion for social and redistributive justice.

With a robust background in Political Science, Sociology, Social Anthropology, and advanced diplomas in Disability & Rehabilitation and Intercultural Communication from Stellenbosch University, Bongani is currently pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Inclusive Innovation at the UCT Graduate School of Business. 

His pioneering research focuses on advancing assistive technologies and inclusive design within low- and middle-income contexts, promoting universal access as a foundation for equity and human dignity.

👉 In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:20) - Personal Story

(01:47) - Challenges and Activism in Student Life

(05:17) - Institutional Preparedness and Accessibility

(07:06) - Assistive Technology and Support

(12:25) - Reasonable Accommodation and Equity

(22:36) - Intersectionality and Lived Experiences

(27:48) - Personal Story and Impact

(28:50) - Navigating Identity and Spaces

(30:25) - Challenges and Opportunities in Education

(38:54) - Representation and Inclusion

(41:24) - Influence of Supportive Figures

(42:33) - The Importance of Early Belief

(43:49) - Grassroots Representation

(44:00) - Unheard Voices and Broader Solutions

(45:55) - Final Thoughts

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Referenced works
This episode mentions material from Physical Disability and Sexuality: Stories from South Africa (2021), edited by Xanthe Hunt, Stine Hellum Braathen, Mussa Chiwaula, Mark T. Carew, Poul Rohleder, and Leslie Swartz, published by Springer Nature under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). 

Explore Bongani Mapumulo's contributions in Chapter 6 (Physical Disability and Masculinity: Hegemony and Exclusion) and Chapter 7 (Bongani’s Story), whose personal experiences and insights on disability and transformation feature in this discussion.

Available: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-55567-2

Notable Thanks 
- Carl & Emily Fuchs Foundation
- Bertha Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- UCT's Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching One Button Studios 

 Connect with Bongani
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Instagram

📧 For Speaking & Partnerships
Host Bandile Mndebele is available for speaking, collaborations, features, workshops, and partnership opportunities. To connect, reach out on LinkedIn or via info@bandilem.com.
Creators & Guests

Bandile Mndebele - Host

Bongani Mapumulo - Guest

It's just us today and what a season this was. Also, we got listed on The Top 100 Outstanding Role Model Lists supported by INvolve and YouTube.
Join us for the season wrap-up and key calls to action.
00:00 - To More Top Moments
00:30 - 2024 Top Lessons
02:28 - Showing up on people's issues
05:20 - Psychological safety and values
06:40 - BTS
07:55 - What we can still do
🔗 You can view the full lists here: https://bit.ly/3Anx93M
In case you missed it:
Share your thoughts on the topics discussed in this episode on social media using the hashtag #addideas.
You can subscribe to or follow the podcast to stay updated on future episodes and milestones.
Leave a review for the show on your favourite podcast platform.

My friend, what should be happening to resolve the problems South Africans face with spaza shops? 
Want to find the right niche?
Today, we delve deep into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship, exploring the challenges and opportunities that shape the landscape for modern business owners and reflecting on South Africa's potentially limiting identity crisis.
Join us as we sit down with Avelile Nontanda, the founder and CEO of Mayhem Digital with more than 10 years of experience helping businesses and brands live their best digital lives from Google to social media and father. Avelile gets candid about shared realities such as dealing with Black Tax, not-so-friendly spaza shops and the importance of a self-reliant economy. 
We discuss the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs today, the importance of a strong brand identity, and the power of digital marketing.

Resources:
Mayhem Digital
Follow Avelile Nontanda on LinkedIn
Listen to the related episode 8 with Melilizwe Gqobo
Google's market dominance and antitrust
Microsoft and ChatGPT are not what Elon Musk intended
The Evolution of Spaza shops
Spaza shop food health inflicting children and who to blame

Call to Action:
Share your thoughts on the topics discussed in this episode on social media using the hashtag #addideas.
You can subscribe to or follow the podcast to stay updated on future episodes and milestones.
Leave a review for the show on your favourite podcast platform.

Briefly 1 Newsletter: Beyond Milestones
We are celebrating 1,000 downloads and community growth in our first audio newsletter.
What is covered in this newsletter:
Thank you!
Beyond the first time, every time
Beyond safe spaces: building competent community
'No DNA, Just RSA'
Feeling left behind: "When is our turn?"
Evolving allyship for a more inclusive future