Benjamin Mzimkulu Macala was born on 21 April 1937 in Bloemfontein. As a young boy Macala tended cattle on a farm in the Orange Free State and passed the time drawing on the rocks with stones. He is largely self-taught although in 1964 he studied for a few months under Cecil Skotnes at Jubilee Art Centre and in 1965 and 1966 he painted outdoor life with Ephraim Ngatane who guided him. In 1967 he became a full-time artist. In 1968 he was a pupil of Bill Ainslie's for a short time. In 1980 Macala travelled to Greece. He presently lives and works in Soweto.
Exhibitions:
1967: Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (sculpture””solo)
1969: Lidchi Art Gallery, Johannesburg (sculpture and drawings)