Born in Harare, Zimbabwe he showed a natural talent for art from an early age. With his country at war, he moved to Botswana in the late 1970s and, thanks to his high school achievements, secured for himself a scholarship in America.
He received an MFA in graphic design from Yale. He moved to New York where he started a successful career in several advertising and publishing agencies as art director.
At the end of 1997, Mafundikwa decided to return to his native land to open the Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts, or ZIVA ("knowledge" in native Shona language), the countrys first school of graphic design and new media.
Mafundikwa is the author of Afrikan Alphabets, a comprehensive review of African writing systems. His first documentary feature: "Shungu: The Resilience of a People", had its world premiere at IDFA last November and was very well received. The film is an objective, in-depth look at the causes and effects of Zimbabwes political and economic decline through the voices of ordinary Zimbabweans.