Ms Nthabiseng Mabale is a Lecturer in Digital Media Design at the University of Johannesburg and a PhD candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her research advances digital storytelling as a participatory methodology for exploring social impact, African epistemologies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), design education, and the empowerment of women and marginalised communities in the Global South. Her doctoral research informs her research and classroom practice, connecting scholarship, curriculum development, and community engagement.

Her interdisciplinary Arrival of Myth project explores Johannesburg’s urban folklore across Architecture, Graphic Design, and Digital Media Design and received the University of Johannesburg’s 2026 Teaching Innovation Fund Award. Ms Mabale is part of the GES 4.0 SI award team working with the African Reclaimers Organisation and leads Digital Media Design in the GES 4.0 SI Catalytic Initiative: Eldorado Park Green Infrastructure and SDG Living Lab. She has published one journal article, four book chapters, and three conference proceedings, with five additional research outputs under review