Makiwa Mutomba (born 1976 in Zimbabwe) showed an excellent ability to draw at an early age. It was not until his third year at university in 1999 where he was studying Electronics Engineering that he quit studies and started painting pictures for a living. Moving from Bulawayo to Harare, which is the commercial capital of the country, and then on to the resort town of Victoria Falls, IN 2000, where he sold miniature paintings at the roadside to tourists (hanging paintings from tree branches). It was at this time that Makiwa developed a love for the knife as a painting tool. Makiwa Moved to South Africa in 2001 where he quickly found representation in reputable Art Galleries in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

In 2014, Makiwa opened Makiwa Galleries in South Africa, which comprises of 3 Art Galleries in Durban, Franschhoek, and Hermanus. Most of his art is now sold through Makiwa Galleries to art collectors in South Africa and all over the world, particularly Europe and USA.

In 2009, Woolworths South Africa chose one of his colourful beach scenes for their carrier bags, which were distributed across the country. Also in the same year Makiwa won an award for painting at the SNBA (Société Nationale Des Beaux-Arts) , an international annual exhibition held at the Carrousel Du Louvre, in Paris, France.