He has been painting old buildings and walls in local villages to encourage youngsters to be creative and pursue art as a hobby or to make a living from it. Mandy has also volunteered his time and skills painting school buildings in the region. His passion for painting was inspired by his late father, Vheya Rhexson Mathonsi, who was also an artist.  At the age of nine, he started to follow in his father’s footsteps.

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He told the Herald that after the passing of his father, he started taking art seriously to honour him and started Vheya Arts and Crafts (VAC). His studio is located at Shawela Block 23, Mahumani village, where he also prints T-shirts and sneakers and does graphic design work. Most of his clients are schools, daycare centres and non-profit organisations. For more information, contact Mandy at 066 171 1205 or follow him on his Facebook page, Echo Machinis.