Biography
Malibongwe Bonakele is a versatile theatre and performance professional with a strong foundation in sound design, stage management, and education. Currently a 2-year Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance student at the University of Cape Town.
His professional journey includes key roles such as Technical Intern at Magnet Theatre (2024-2025), where he honed his skills in sound, lighting, venue management, and young audience coordination.
Recently, he worked as a Sound Designer for Kinnes van Somers at the Zabalaza Festival (2026). He is also a volunteer radio presenter at UCT Radio.
Malibongwe ’s academic background includes a BA Honours degree in Theatre and Performance (2021) and a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Theatre & Dance, Media & Writing, and Film & TV Studies (2017-2020), all from the University of Cape Town.With a strong ability to motivate and collaborate, Malibongwe is driven by a passion for live performance and is eager to further develop his sound design expertise, particularly within dynamic festival environments.
Synopsis
The Walk is an immersive sound experience staged as a live art installation within a contained space. The work is composed of layered soundscapes, vibrations, music, sound effects, and voice re-enactment, forming a deeply embodied sonic narrative.
Originally developed as part of my MA research at the University of Cape Town (presented on 10 April 2026), this expanded iteration places sound at the centre of storytelling, prioritising immersion and audience interaction with a core sonic object.
The installation explores sound as an affective force while investigating how it can move through and act upon the body within space. During the performance, my role is both technical and a stagehand: I operate the sound and physically move sound objects throughout the space, facilitating and shaping the audience’s experience in real time.