Meet Self-Taught Senzo Mthembu, Who's Using Art and Passion to Shape the Future of SA Children

• Senzo Mthembu's artistic journey began in KwaThema, where his passion for drawing emerged at a young age, leading him to become a self-taught illustrator
• Bennico Comic, Mthembu's publishing venture, creates fun and educational colouring books for children aged three to seven, with plans to extend to Grades 1 to 3
• Speaking to Briefly News, Mthembu said, despite facing challenges in production, including hand-drawing illustrations and limited workspace, his vision includes expanding his impact through job creation in printing and marketing

Self-taught KwaThema-born illustrator Senzo Mthembu is using creativity and grit to transform early childhood education one colouring book at a time.

Self-taught illustrator

Senzo Mthembu, a self-taught illustrator and founder of Bennico Comic, is on a passionate mission to make learning fun, affordable and accessible for young children across South Africa.

Through his vibrant children’s colouring and activity books, he’s turning his artistic gift into an educational tool, and his story is one of perseverance, purpose and township pride.

Born and raised in KwaThema, Mthembu discovered his love for drawing in Grade 3 at Sakhewe Primary School.

“That’s when I noticed people appreciated my work,” he recalled in an interview with Briefly News. “From home to school, everyone saw something special in my art.”

He later pursued technical drawing at Laban Motlabi Comprehensive School before studying Civil Engineering and Construction Building at Ekurhuleni East College.

But life after college took a different turn.

Working as a street vendor

To make ends meet, Mthembu became a street vendor in the township, trading products for gold and selling to passersby. Plans to start a house-planning business fell through, but inspiration struck from a deeply personal place for his son.

“I needed fun, educational ways to keep him engaged while he stayed home and other kids went to daycare,” he explains. “That’s when the idea for children’s books came to life.”

What started as a personal project has since grown into Bennico Comic, a publishing venture that creates colouring and activity books for children aged three to seven, with new books for Grade 1 to 3 learners in the works. Mthembu partners with Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, social workers, nurses and professional teachers to ensure each book meets age-appropriate educational standards.

The books cover a range of topics, including healthy habits, life skills, maths, motor skills and even children’s rights, offering a blend of fun and learning designed to support early development.

“I want to highlight the importance of early learning, from colour recognition and writing to literature and diversity,” Mthembu says.

His work is already making an impact in classrooms and homes alike.

“Teachers tell me their learners can now write their names and the alphabet,” he shares proudly. “ECD centres say my books create uniformity in classrooms and make it easier to monitor progress.”

Major challenges

Despite the growing demand, Mthembu faces major challenges. He still hand-draws each illustration, with some books exceeding 120 pages. They are also bound manually. Limited printing capacity and lack of workspace also slow down production.

“If I could overcome those barriers, I’d create jobs in printing, marketing, sales, and delivery,” he says with vision.

Through it all, Mthembu remains driven by love for art, for learning, and for community. His message to young creators?

“Art is love. Invest in your craft. Something meaningful will come out of it. Help, teach, and inspire.”

In a world where early education is often overlooked, Senzo Mthembu is colouring outside the lines, one child, one book, one dream at a time.

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Source: Briefly News