Mandisa Nomalungelo Yende and Lufezo Yamandumo Bovungana are innovative theatre makers, directors, musicians, and performers who are reshaping the South African artistic landscape. They both hold Honours degrees in Theatre and Performance from the University of the Witwatersrand, majoring in Directing and Musical Theatre. Together, they form the dynamic duo known as MandiFeze, where their shared passion for healing through performance is deeply rooted in ingoma—a practice blending music and ritual to explore themes of connection, release, and identity. Individually, their artistic journeys are rich and varied.
Lufezo's work spans directing, music, and physical theatre. They have directed and performed in several acclaimed productions, including The Edge of Her Earth (2019) by Jaques Batista at the National Arts Festival, Umkhangeli Ongenagama (2023) at the Centre for The Less Good Idea and Ungathi Amen (2022-2023), a devised play exploring queer themes. Lufezo also contributed as musical director in In the Court of Love (2023) by Buhle-Bontle Satsha and is a musician in Take Me to Town (2024) by Thabiso Rammala. Their directing credits include a powerful adaptation of A Woman in Waiting (2023) by Yaerl Farber, delving into themes of Black femininity and apartheid's legacy and recently, they directed a physical theatre piece titled Vula, Mvula at the Wits Main Theatre, which won the award for Outstanding Technical Design. They have also recently completed a NAC funded traineeship at the Live Music Lab.
Mandisa's career is equally distinguished, with a focus on storytelling that captures the depth of Black identity in South Africa through theatre and music. As a performer, she has taken on notable roles, including Julia in Olivier Fischer's Still (2021), multiple characters in Umkhangeli Ongenagama (2023) at the Wits Theatre and the Centre for The Less Good Idea, and collaborations such as Ungathi Amen (2022-2023), and Inzalabantu (2021) at the Wits Origins Centre, blending physical theatre and fine arts. She is a percussionist and vocalist in Take Me to Town (2024) by Thabiso Rammala. She has also contributed to the arts recently as musical director in two physical theatre pieces, namely, MEME(tics) (2025) by Gavin Matthys, and Seven Colours (2025) by Kamogelo Molobye. Her directorial credits include adaptations like uNosilimela by Credo Vusamazulu Mutwa (2023) and her original work Isenyuso (2024), which earned her an award for Outstanding Direction of an Original/Devised Work.