Xolelwa Malinga (b. 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist from Eswatini. Once she attained her Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design, she pursued Fine Arts, developing a practice centered on the Black female form as a vessel of emotional and cultural storytelling. Through acrylic, oil and mixed media, she explores how posture, gesture, and presence can communicate complex inner states — transforming the body into both subject and language.

In 2024, Malinga presented her work in Dubai as one of 108 women selected globally for Art Connects Women. That same year, she held her first solo exhibition at Alliance Française de Mbabane in her home city, and her work was selected for Miami Art Week, where she exhibited alongside other African female artists. Her work was later featured at the RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg. In 2025, she was selected as one of the winners of the WORLDART10 competition by Worldart Gallery, further affirming her growing international recognition. She is a participating mentee in the African Female Artist Mentorship Program (AFAMP) 2025/2026 cohort.

Beyond her studio practice, Malinga is the founder of The Phumula Project, an initiative that uses art as a tool for therapy, collective healing, and cultural dialogue. Her ongoing exploration sits at the intersection of emotion, form, and liberation — an ever-evolving study of what it means to return to oneself.