Mbali Mthethwa is a practitioner based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Development from the University of Johannesburg, and is enrolled in the Honours degree programme at the University of Johannesburg, majoring in Anthropology. In 2019, Mthethwa established The Herd, a multi-award winning collaborative collective. Through The Herd, Mthethwa applies her academic training in community development work with women crafters based in Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal, to create art and contemporary jewelry from beads, clay and telephone wire. These works are not only of aesthetic significance, the process of creating them is rooted in African traditional artisanal techniques and culture. These works pay homage to the undervalued history of craft expertise and artisanal skills pioneered and mastered by Nguni cultural groups. Moreover, The Herd contributes to economic development and community upliftment in the regions that it operates in.