Proud Unisa alumnus applies what he has learned in the classroom to real-world situations

Mxolisi Phakeme Nxumalo, a young man born and raised in the small town of Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal, was an inquisitive child who questioned almost everything. As a result of his inquiring nature, he has written and published four books, and he believes it was all God’s fate.

An interesting part of his childhood began to make sense after he wrote his second book and pursued his studies at Unisa, namely the way his mother would never help him with homework; instead of helping him, she collected different books for him beyond the ones that were prescribed for the curriculum. When he was in Grade 2, his mother began to teach him not to ask others for information but to find the best information he could get from the books she had collected. In retrospect, he realised that parents know what their child is capable of.

Mxolisi Nxumalo

Equally important to say at this point is that he was not raised in a family that read; however, he attributes his mother’s influence on his education to the fact that she is a teacher by profession. Although he did not understand her motives then, he does now.

Mxolisi completed his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Science at Unisa in 2023, but because of his outstanding fees, he only graduated in 2024. When asked what inspired him to pursue his studies at Unisa, he responded, “To be honest, choosing Unisa was easy. When I knew I wanted to pursue a career in communications, I knew spontaneously that I had to choose a university that would allow me to manage my own time, depending mostly on myself and the relevant study material”.

His most excellent highlight as a Unisa student pertains to discipline and how he enjoyed his journey. He enjoyed the discipline that Unisa students must incorporate into their studies. Beyond his confidence that he was meant to be a writer and not simply an author, his academic background in Communication Science helped him to discover who he really was. “As a writer, you write because you have a significant subject you see as compelling to contribute to; you write because you have a novel style that gives you meaning and stylistic identity,” he says.

His academic background unveiled and practically validated that he has a particular love for language and words. When he was in his third year, he wrote a book about writing titled Impactful writer. He knew it would not be his last book on the subject of writing (which he calls meta-literature), and on 25 June 2025, he will release the fourth book in the series.

His first book, Will to advance, is about the importance of inner transformation if one has the ambition to transform the world. It shares five pivots of inner transformation, turning ideas into meaningful work.

His second book, Impactful writer, is based on his practical observations, for example, that it is possible to write a first book that is a masterpiece if, as a writer, one has the ambition to acquire craftsmanship before tackling the writing process.

His third book, Limitless enlightenment, is about profound wisdom poetised. This anthology is for people who seek to live a serene and interesting life. He regards it as poems and meditations that are a bridge to the truth about human nature and human progress. He sought to do something different and has an intellectual approach to poetry.

His fourth book is a novel, titled Fate and the sky: The bitter brave new way. He does not wish to spoil it by giving away too much, but the significant question behind it is: In a world where every kingdom is fighting for dominance, where are we, and where are we going?

When I asked him about his motivation behind writing, he remarked, “I had a belief that I had to give birth to, the belief that as human beings we were meant to advance this world, and my form of contributing to the advancement of this world is writing and transforming human worlds with words. But above all, I wanted to be the best graduate I could impossibly be; and I'm saying impossibly, because I challenged myself”. By best graduate, he does not mean academic marks; he means the practical impact he can make because of being educated. After traditional publishers rejected him, and even though he could not afford to publish his own books, he knew he had to do everything independently because he had to get himself started.

His exposure to communication and language through Unisa fuelled him to write more on the subjects of communication, language, and textual dexterity, as well as to create and advance more writers who have what it takes to be writers. In his opinion, the door should only let in those with a profound lens towards things. And now he is only one month away from publishing his fifth book.

Mxolisi is currently a communication and marketing intern at the Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Region, where he feels at home. He has always dreamt of working at a university. He is glad he is working for the institution he studied at, as he genuinely believes Unisa is a university that provides opportunities for students to define their tomorrow. Learning never stops; he is pursuing a BA honours in Linguistics, and studying even further is an inevitability for him.

He advises Unisa students to read but not to limit themselves to a genre or a preference. Reading widely will expose them to different styles and approaches beyond their comfort zones. A serious writer reads and writes every day. Writing is a craft that has its own mechanics that require patience. As Epictetus observed, “Nothing great is produced suddenly”. “The day I become a professor, I will say the sun has risen,” remarked Mxolisi.

Mxolisi appreciates Unisa; his decision to study at Unisa changed his life. While he was an undergraduate student, he wrote and published three books and was invited to speak on the respected radio stations Ukhozi FM, Gagasi FM and Umgungundlovu FM.

“I am reminded of the words by CS Lewis: In ordinary usage, the word impossible implies a suppressed clause beginning with the word unless.  Everyone can be great in their fields.” Finally, he encourages everyone “to wake up every day to make their work the best masterpiece their thoughts and hands can ever produce under the sun, and their existence will be remembered as a masterpiece.”

* By Sakhile Mtshali, Communication and Marketing Officer, Unisa KZN Region