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 storytelling
• The moment a camera became both structure and salvation
• Why jazz is not just a genre but a philosophy that shaped his way of seeing
• His role as an archivist of South African culture and why documentation is a form of justice
• The mentors, communities and chosen family who gave him roots
• The emotional labour of photographing other people’s truths while confronting his own

Siphiwe 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.com⁠

Subscribe to:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH | LISTEN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recorded at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vodcast TV⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Show Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Kweku 'Taygo' Baffoe⁠⁠⁠⁠

Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ayob Vania