Mvemve Jiyane (b. 1953) was born in Mofolo, Soweto. From a very young age, his talent for drawing and sketching was noted; his primary school teachers often asked him to illustrate lessons on the blackboard. Coming from a large family, there was insufficient money to keep him in school, and he left Standard 8 to seek work in Johannesburg.
Jiyane later enrolled in the Fuba Art School in Newton, where he trained in various painting media and sculpting. In the 1980s, he participated in numerous group exhibitions alongside artists such as Peter Sibeko, Hargreaves Ntukwana, Godfrey Ndaba, and David Mbele. His work has been acquired by art lovers both locally and internationally and can also be found in the Fort Hare Museum and Art Gallery.
