Check Out Kalenga Augustine Mulenga’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalenga Augustine Mulenga.

Hi Kalenga Augustine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey as an author began with a simple desire to tell meaningful stories that children could enjoy while learning something about character, courage, kindness and the world around them. I was born in Zambia and now live in South Africa, and my African heritage has always played an important role in the stories I tell.
What started as a passion gradually grew into something much bigger than I imagined. Over the years, I have written and published more than 40 children’s books, with my stories reaching readers in different countries and languages. One of my best-known books, Chuck the Cheetah, has sold more than 3,000 copies, and collectively my books have sold more than 5,000 copies.
The journey has certainly had its challenges. Like many independent authors, I have had to learn not only how to write books, but also how to publish, market and promote them, often while balancing my writing with my professional career and family life. I am an accountant by profession, so much of my creative work has been built during evenings, weekends and whatever time I could find. Persistence has probably been one of the biggest themes of my journey.
Along the way, there have also been some wonderful milestones. My books have received recognition through awards, including the African Christian Authors Book Awards, and Chuck the Cheetah was a runner-up in the 2023 Children’s Picture Book category at the Creative Power Awards. My storytelling has also expanded beyond books into animation through K.A. Mulenga Storytime Adventures, whose trailer received recognition at the International Images Film Festival.
Today, I see myself as more than simply a children’s author. I am an African storyteller who wants children to see Africa, its people, values and imagination represented in the stories they read. I also want my work to encourage young readers to believe in themselves, persevere through difficulties and treat others with compassion.
I am still very much on the journey. I continue to write new stories, collaborate with other creatives and explore opportunities in publishing, education and animation. Ultimately, my hope is to build a body of work that entertains children while leaving them with something meaningful long after they have finished reading.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think the challenges have shaped both the writer and the person I have become.
One of my biggest challenges has been balancing my creative life with my professional and family responsibilities. I am an accountant by profession and run an accounting practice, while also being a husband and father. Writing often happens early in the morning, late at night or over weekends. There have been many occasions when I have had to put a manuscript aside because work or family needed my attention.
Another challenge has been the financial reality of being an independent author. Writing a book is only the beginning. Editing, illustration, publishing, printing, marketing, exhibitions and travelling to promote your work all cost money. There have been opportunities I would have loved to pursue but simply could not afford at the time. I have learned that sometimes “not now” does not necessarily mean “never.”
Rejection is also a significant part of publishing. I have submitted manuscripts and proposals that I believed strongly in and received a “no,” or sometimes no response at all. Earlier in my journey those moments were difficult, but over time I learned not to allow rejection to determine the value of my work. Some stories simply need to find the right home at the right time.
There is also the challenge of getting African children’s stories noticed in an extremely competitive international market. Part of what keeps me going is my belief that African children deserve to see themselves, their environments and their experiences represented in books, while children elsewhere deserve the opportunity to discover Africa through stories that are joyful, imaginative and authentic.
Perhaps the most important lesson has been perseverance. I have experienced disappointments alongside wonderful breakthroughs—books selling thousands of copies, awards, international recognition, collaborations and opportunities I could never have predicted when I started.
So no, it has not been a smooth road, but I would not change that. The difficult parts have taught me patience, resilience and gratitude. I often tell children through my stories never to give up, and I have realised that this is advice I have had to live by myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a children’s author and storyteller writing under the name K.A. Mulenga. My work is centred on entertaining young readers while sharing positive messages about character, perseverance, friendship, faith, kindness and responsibility. I am particularly passionate about telling stories rooted in Africa and creating characters and experiences that African children can recognise, while still making the stories accessible to children anywhere in the world.
I have written and published more than 40 books across picture books, early readers and middle-grade stories. My books have been published in English as well as other languages, including Afrikaans, isiZulu and French, and collectively have sold more than 5,000 copies. Chuck the Cheetah, one of my best-known titles, has sold more than 3,000 copies in English alone.
I am especially proud that my work has received recognition beyond sales. David the Great King and Robbie the Raven and Debbie the Dove were recognised at the 2025 African Christian Authors Book Awards, while Chuck the Cheetah was previously a runner-up at the Creative Power Awards. I have also begun taking my storytelling beyond the printed page into animation. The trailer for K.A. Mulenga Storytime Adventures won Best Trailer/Teaser at the International Images Film Festival in 2025.
What sets my work apart, I believe, is the combination of African storytelling, universal themes and purpose. I do not want children to feel that they are being taught a lesson when they open one of my books—they should first encounter an enjoyable story and memorable characters. But underneath the adventure, humour or emotion, I hope there is always something that stays with them.
I am also interested in expanding what an African children’s author can do. My work increasingly crosses publishing, education, animation and collaborative storytelling, and I am continually exploring ways for African stories and characters to reach wider international audiences.
Of everything I have achieved, however, I am probably most proud when a child connects with one of my stories. Awards and sales are wonderful, but seeing a young reader excited about a character, asking what happens next, or being inspired to write a story of their own reminds me why I started doing this in the first place.

What’s next?
I feel that I am entering one of the most exciting stages of my creative journey. I have built a substantial catalogue of children’s books, but my ambition now is to take those stories and characters much further.
One of my biggest goals is to expand into animation. I have already begun that journey through K.A. Mulenga Storytime Adventures, and we have since developed the concept further with a stronger focus on Elaine the Elephant and her world. I would love to see these African-created characters eventually reach children internationally through television and streaming platforms.
I also want to continue growing internationally as an author. That means finding the right publishing partnerships, increasing translations of my books, reaching more schools and libraries, attending literary events and book fairs, and developing relationships with organisations that share my commitment to children’s literacy and African storytelling.
Collaboration is becoming increasingly important to me as well. I am interested in working with other writers, illustrators, educators, filmmakers and creatives from different cultures. I believe some of the most interesting storytelling happens when people bring different experiences to the same table.
In the longer term, one of my biggest personal goals is to transition from balancing accounting and writing to spending much more of my life as a full-time author and creative entrepreneur. I would also love to have my own bookstore—a welcoming space where children can discover books, meet authors and develop a lifelong love of reading.
Most importantly, I want to keep writing. There are still so many African stories to tell and so many children to reach. If, years from now, my books and characters are helping children across different countries see Africa with greater curiosity, affection and understanding—and helping African children see themselves represented in those stories—I will feel that I have accomplished something truly worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kamulenga.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.a.mulenga_author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KAMulengaWriter
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalenga-augustine-mulenga-435477201/
• Twitter: https://x.com/mulenga_a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@k.a.mulenga2370