By the 1980s, his work followed the trajectory of the movement resisting apartheid, celebrating African strength and unity against the oppressors.
A skill which he maintained throughout his schooling and led to his hiring as a graphic artist by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.
In 1973, he spent several months studying at the Swedish Lutheran art center, Rorke's Drift in Natal.
Beyond art, the ensemble published newsletters and held a famous conference in 1982 entitled "Culture and Resistance."
In June 1985, the exiles knew that South African forces were approaching, but Mnyele did not leave early enough.