Going Full Circle: Thobani Ndlovu

🎙️ The Incredible Machines Podcast – Episode 22: Thobani Ndlovu 
Leading Through Curiosity 

Welcome to Episode 22 of The Incredible Machines Podcast! In this thought-provoking conversation, Jon Oliff and Luke Holden sit down with Thobani Ndlovu, an architect, author, and TEDx Durban curator, for a deep conversation on creativity, personal growth, and building platforms for transformation. Thobani shares his unconventional journey into architecture, how feeding the homeless led to a discovery of his voice, and the behind-the-scenes reality of bringing TEDx to Durban.

Through themes of curiosity, community, and the courage to challenge personal limits, Thobani offers listeners a refreshing reminder: you don’t have to fit in a box; you can build your own. 

Thobani Ndlovu is a South African architect, TEDx Durban curator, entrepreneur, and author of Leading Through the Mirror. A passionate advocate for personal leadership, he has built platforms that empower voices, inspire change, and encourage introspection. Thobani is also the co-founder of the nonprofit Legacy Creators and a speaker devoted to conversations that matter. 

Through themes of curiosity, community, and the courage to challenge personal limits. 
 
 
 
⏱ Timestamped Overview 

00:00- Introduction 
01:00 – The power of curiosity & starting TEDx Durban  
03:00 – Growing up between Greytown and Pietermaritzburg  
06:00 – Struggles fitting in at school and varsity 
10:00 – Discovering architecture by accident  
13:00 – The creative vs. practical tension in architectural work 
18:00 – Sports, failure, and resilience as life lessons 
21:00 – Close-knit family and growing up with a single mother 
26:00 – Volunteering, feeding the homeless & discovering his voice 
30:00 – Writing ‘Leading Through the Mirror’ and founding TEDx Durban 
36:00 – Building TEDx Durban: challenges, breakthroughs, and purpose 
41:00 – The behind-the-scenes work no one sees 
44:00 – Trip to TEDx London & international inspiration 
58:00 – Learning from failure & embracing public platforms 
01:03:00 – Why curiosity matters more than comfort  


 
💬 Quote of the Episode 

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality." - Seneca 
 
🧠 Related Campaign Example  

Thobani admires how this cinematic campaign used cultural symbolism and national pride to unite South Africans around a shared identity. It sparked his early understanding of representation, legacy, and the power of sport as a narrative tool. 
 
Sasol Spingboks Ad: https://youtu.be/G_kThmkABac 

 
 
 
👣 Relevant Links 
 
TEDx Durban Website: https://tedxdurban.org/ 
TEDx Durban Profile: https://www.ted.com/profiles/11198205   
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thobanindlovu_/  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThobaniNdlovuPage  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thobani-ndlovu-4a5563190/  
Book: Leading Through the Mirror by Thobani Ndlovu 

 
 
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🎧 Podcast Page: https://www.pod.tim.africa