ABOUT HLAWULANI
listening thinking design
I’m Hlawulani Mkhabela, a communication designer with a background in international advocacy.
My work is inspired by my Mozambican grandmother, Elizabeth, who told long, winding stories in nightly instalments. My sister and I would sit at her feet, our eyes like saucers as we followed the story’s twists and turns. That’s where I learned that if you pay close attention, and listen closely, stories can connect people and shape entire worlds.
In my twenties, I moved from South Africa to France and spent over a decade studying, adapting, and evolving – personally and professionally. I earned a Master’s in International Relations and French citizenship, while juggling a patchwork of jobs, from bartending to teaching. Wherever I landed, I somehow became the resident artist and problem-solver. I also met and came to learn from people I never would have encountered had I followed a more linear career path.
Eventually, I found my niche working with regional and international NGOs in health and advocacy. Though the work was meaningful, I kept running into the same problem: a disconnect between strategy and design. Expensive communication plans went unused. Brand guides didn’t reflect real constraints.
Kalahari Design Studio is my attempt to connect the dots with curiosity, practicality, and care.
Today, I work with purposeful companies, NGOs, and personal brands to create communication that’s clear, strategy-led, and quietly bold. We dig deep into your message, audience, competitive landscape, and decision-making environment. Then, I build tailored, intentional visual tools that your team can use and adapt as needed.
It all starts with listening, closely and curiously, as if we were back in Grandma Elizabeth’s kitchen, letting the story unfold.
patchwork of jobs, from bartending to teaching. Wherever I landed, I somehow became the resident artist and problem-solver. I also met and came to learn from people I never would have encountered had I followed a more linear career path.
