Vusumzi Ngxande, Stories My Name Never Told

In this unforgettable episode of Listen To Your Footsteps, host Kojo Baffoe welcomes writer, designer, and multidisciplinary storyteller Vusumzi Ngxande into an intimate and reflective conversation that traces the invisible lines between identity, language, lineage, and healing.What happens when your name holds stories that even you do not fully know? What does it mean to belong to a family history that has been severed, renamed, or forgotten? And how do you begin to reconnect with the ancestral rhythm of your own becoming?These are the questions Vusumzi dives into and generously explores as he shares his personal journey of cultural reclamation, spiritual growth, and creative awakening. “I didn’t choose to tell stories,” he reflects, “I just started trying to make sense of myself.”The episode weaves through his childhood experiences, his discovery of spirituality through ancestral dreaming, and his gradual reconciliation with a fractured family name. Raised primarily by women and the cadence of prayer, Vusumzi speaks about the quiet power of matriarchs, the violence of displacement, and the silence around identity that shaped his early life.From his years as a student of design to becoming a published author, photographer, podcaster, and emerging creative force, Vusumzi speaks to the discomfort and necessity of self-excavation. “Sometimes it is the silence that holds the loudest truth,” he says. His insights on masculinity, vulnerability, and healing challenge social expectations while also creating space for listeners to re-evaluate their own journeys.Kojo and Vusumzi discuss the intersections between language and belonging, particularly how isiXhosa and its ceremonial use unlocked deeper connections to self. They reflect on the creative tension between tradition and individual expression, and the courage it takes to move forward while honouring where you come from.This conversation is a meditation on the messy, beautiful, often painful process of becoming. It is a quiet yet powerful call to listeners who are trying to navigate personal transformation, ancestral memory, or cultural complexity, especially those who feel like they have never quite fit into the boxes the world offers.If you’ve ever questioned your origins, struggled to name your pain, or wondered where the stories inside you come from, this episode will meet you where you are. It is an invitation to stand at the intersection of memory and meaning and to walk forward, even when the path is unclear.Expect moments of stillness, clarity, and goosebump-inducing truths. Expect to be moved.Listen to this episode if you are:• Exploring your identity, name, or family history• Curious about African spirituality and ancestral wisdom• An emerging creative trying to make meaning from your personal story• A man seeking to redefine masculinity through softness and presence• Interested in the politics of language, culture, and self-expressionKey moments include:• The symbolic and emotional weight of a surname• Learning to embrace ceremony as creative clarity• How matriarchal guidance shaped his worldview• Naming the trauma of disconnection and dislocation• Holding grief, healing, and hope in the same breath Quotable insight:“I didn’t know what I was carrying until I started writing it down. Then the pages started to feel like home.”This episode is a mirror. A memoir in conversation. A stillness that stirs something in you.Listen, share, and be still to experience the full story.You can find the latest from Vusumzi on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ and X or check out thokozadlozi For more on my book Listen To Your Footsteps, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kojobaffoe.com/book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe: To Watch/Listen now⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zebra Culture Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ now.Recorded at Spotify Africa Joburg StudioShow Music by Kweku 'Taygo' BaffoeProduced by Ayob Vania