Nomhle Lusanda Nyembe

Second cohort of the African Fellowships for Research in Indigenous and Alternative Knowledges / Deuxième cohorte du programme de Bourses africaines pour la recherche sur les savoirs autochtones et alternatifs (AFRIAK) .

Affliation: University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Kwaluseni Campus, Eswatini

Discipline: African Languages and Literature, and Theology and Religious Studies

Country / Pays: Eswatini

Project Title / Titre du projet: Indigenous Storytelling as a System of Knowledge Transmission in Eswatini

Biographie / Biography: I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in African Languages and Literature, and Theology and Religious Studies. My academic training provided a strong foundation in critical thinking, research, textual analysis, and the study of indigenous knowledge systems within African contexts. In addition, I obtained a Certificate in Business Management and Entrepreneurship from the YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa (YALI RLC-SA), where I developed skills in leadership, innovation, project management, and sustainable enterprise development. Together, my academic and leadership training reflect an interdisciplinary background that integrates humanities scholarship with entrepreneurial and community-based practice.
Beyond formal academic training, I have been actively engaged in community-based cultural work. As a Community-Based Organiser (CBO) working with arts initiatives in selected tinkhundla in Eswatini, I engage directly with community leaders and young people to promote creative expression rooted in local cultural contexts. This work has involved facilitating conversations around cultural identity, indigenous narratives, and intergenerational knowledge sharing. Through this role, I have observed how storytelling and artistic practices function as vehicles for transmitting communal values and social norms.
In my capacity as a content producer and scriptwriter, I have developed articles, scripts, and creative content that draw from indigenous themes, oral traditions, and lived community experiences. My work often integrates local idioms, moral frameworks, and culturally grounded storytelling techniques, demonstrating practical engagement with indigenous epistemologies beyond academic theory.