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Articles on political party manifestos coming soon in IsiZulu and English. Yazi ngaphambi kokuba uvote!
The Origin
The Origin
Mother Tongue Intellect was founded on a simple belief: African knowledge belongs at the centre of global conversations and African languages should be langauges of both tradition and discovery.
We publish rigorous, accessible non-fiction across science, finance, the environment, and culture. Our work is written for everyday readers and respected by scholars. We believe clarity and depth can co-exist. What makes us different is language. We place African languages at the forefront - not as translations, but as primary languages of serious inquiry. Alongside English, they shape how knowledge is explored, preserved and shared.
We are building a global platform, a living archive of knowledge.
Vision
Vision
Our long-term vision is to become a platform that people return to regularly for thoughtful reading and exploration in their mother tongues, and eventually expanding into documentary storytelling across our four focus areas.
Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Pheliswa Msele
Founder | Author| Chartered Accountancy student
📍Johannesburg, South Africa
About
Pheliswa's work sits at the intersection of business, media and impact. As the founder of MTI, her vision is to take African knowledge global as well as promote intellectual multilingualism. She uses her background in accounting science to enforce strategies that grow MTI and her background as a global youth ambassador with organizations such as Theirworld to do impactful projects with communities that are often overlooked.
Hobbies and Interests
Reading: fiction, history, business books, magazines.
Horseriding and hiking
Writing: Research pieces and fiction stories centred around Africa and it's people.
Fun Fact
At a young age, she was inspired by Vuyo Mbuli's ability to speak multiple languages. So the fact that she only speaks 2 languages fluently continues to haunt her.
Quote
"Inkunzi isematholeni" - Isaga sesiZulu
"The bull is among the calves" (The leaders of tomorrow are among the youth of today) - A Zulu idiom
Esther Johnson
Journalist | Civic Activist| Global Youth Ambassador
📍Nairobi, Kenya
About
Esther is a journalist and youth/community advocate. She works at the intersection of media, governance, and civic rights, with a focus on road safety, mental health, gender equality, and girl's education. She co-leads HOAY (Horn of Africa Youth Action for SDGs and GCED) and has served as an ambassador with organizatiobs like VOW for Girls, Greenlight for Girls, and CIVICUS. Her writing and research aims to amplify African youth voices and push for more inclusive, accountable systems.
Hobbies and Interests
Writing: Research articles, opinion pieces, and poetry.
Public speaking: Workshop facilitation and community engagement.
Reading: African history and politics
Fitness: Sprint training and short-distance running
Fun Fact
She balances running a youth-led initiative with finding time to sprint on the track.
Quote
"Stories are not just told; they are tools for change."
"Hadithi hazisimuliwi tu; ni zana za mabadiliko."
Contact
Contact
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