Mlilo Mpondo

Award-Winning Author, Storyteller & Screenwriter and Founder at Khachube Story Architects

Interviewee

Pulane Mlilo Mpondo is a systems storyteller, novelist, and strategist building the narrative infrastructure for Africa’s creative economy. Her work sits at the intersection of story, systems, and inclusive innovation — spanning fiction, screenwriting, AI, and intellectual property strategy.

As the founder of Khachube Story Architects, she helps organizations and creators design ecosystems where story becomes a tool for cultural intelligence, IP development, and market growth. A University of Johannesburg Debut Fiction Prize winner and Realness Institute screenwriting fellow, and Storytelling facilitator, Pulane’s practice merges narrative craft with economic design — turning imagination into investable value.

Whether leading national innovation programs, writing award-winning fiction, or developing training frameworks for rural creatives, her mission remains constant: to lower barriers to access and position African creativity as both a cultural and financial asset.