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Our Story

From a high school friendship to preserving African storytelling traditions

In a world where voices fade and the shadows of progress swallow stories, AudioBook Masters was born from a longing to return to the flickering warmth of the communal fire, where tales once breathed life into the darkness and the echoes of our ancestors' voices found new purpose.

Two high school friends, bound by a shared reverence for the rhythm of spoken words and the ancient cadence of African storytelling, dreamed of a space where voices would become bridges across generations. This dream was not born in silence but in the quiet certainty that each word spoken could carry the weight of a thousand memories, and each story told could heal the fractures of forgotten truths in Africa.

At AudioBook Masters, every whisper and every word is an invitation to see through your ears, to find yourself in the stories that shape our world, to learn from your soul, and to listen to your imagination!

AudioBook Masters (Utlwa Collective) is inspired by the timeless oral traditions of our continent and the legacy of those who dared to craft new worlds from words. These two high school friends, Hangwi and Bonolo, started their storytelling journey by writing, directing, and performing in a school play that swept all the awards on offer. So we began, not as a business alone, but as keepers of an ancient promise: to let stories sing once more. It is a tribute to the richness of African culture, to the storytellers who came before, and to the voices waiting to be heard.

"We wanted to craft stories that did more than echo on a device. We wanted to weave tapestries of sound that listeners could inhabit—tapestries stitched together with the vibrant threads of African languages, folklore, and dreams."

Meet The Founders

Bonolo Malevu

Bonolo Malevu

Co-Founder & Creative Director

Bonolo brings the creative vision to ABM with his passion for authentic African storytelling. A graduate of dramatic arts, all our stories are infused with his deep expertise as he oversees all production and ensures each story is of the highest quality.

Hangwi Liphadzi

Hangwi Liphadzi

Co-Founder & Business Director

As the strategic mind behind ABM, Hangwi ensures our stories reach a global audience. With a background in business and a passion for technology, she drives our mission to make African literature accessible everywhere, ensuring our storytellers are heard and celebrated.

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