Esther Nikwambi Mahlangu is op 11 November 1935 in [[Middelburg, Mpumalanga]], [[Suid-Afrika]] gebore en behoort tot die Suid-Ndebele-volk.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Esther Mahlangu |title=Contemporary Art of Africa |last=Magnin |first=André |author2=Jacques Soulillou |pages=[https://archive.org/details/contemporaryarto00magn/page/46 46 ''ff.''] |year=1996 |publisher=[[H. N. Abrams]] |isbn=978-0-8109-4032-1 |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryarto00magn/page/46 }}</ref> Mahlangu het op tienjarige ouderdom begin skilder<ref name="Phaidon Editors">{{cite book |last1=Phaidon Editors |title=Great women artists |date=2019 |publisher=Phaidon Press |isbn=0714878774 |page=254}}</ref>, en is deur haar moeder en ouma geleer om muurskilderkuns te skep<ref name=WP2014 />, volgens 'n tradisie van haar inheemse Suid-Ndebele mense vir vrouens om die buitekant van [[huis]]e te verf. Dit is in hierdie kulturele tradisie waar Mahlangu met haar artistieke reis begin het.<ref name="RVA2014">{{cite web |url=http://rvanews.com/entertainment/south-african-artist-painting-commissioned-murals-at-vmfa/116911 |title=South African artist painting commissioned murals at VMFA |work=RVA News |date=17 September 2014|accessdate=1 April 2015}}</ref>
