UXolani Mavela wazalelwa kwaMlungisi, eCumakala. Imfundo yakhe yamabanga aphantsi ukuya kwaphakamileyo uyenze kwizikolo zalapho kwaMlungisi apho ebetshatshele khona kwizifundo zolwimi lwesiXhosa noncwadi. Ngenxa yeziphumo zakhe ezazigqwesile kwingingqi yoMda, wafumana inkxaso-mali yokuya kwenza isidanga seB.A. kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Kapa. Emva kokuba eyiphumelele iB.A. uye waqeqeshelwa ubutitshala kwalapho kwiYunivesithi yaseNtshona Kapa. Emva kokugqiba izifundo zobufundisi-ntsapho uye waqeshwa njengotitshala wesiXhosa kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo iEdgemead High School ukusukela kumnyaka ka-1998 ukuya kumnyaka ka-2000. Emva koko uye waya kwenza isidanga see-Onazi neseeMastazi kwizifundo zeeLwimi zaseAfrika kwiYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch. Ngeli thuba afundayo kule yunivesithi waye wafumana iwonga lokuba ngumncedisi wabafundisi-ntsapho isithuba seminyaka emine.Ngethamsanqa, uthe xa eziphumelela izifundo zakhe zeeMastazi ngo-2003, wabe sele efumana isithuba sesigxina sokuya kwakha isiXhosa njengolwimi lokuqala nolwasekhaya kwisikolo saseWesterford. Usebenze apho ukusukela ngomnyaka ka-2004 ukuya ku-2008. Kulapho ke aye wazibalula khona ekufundiseni isiXhosa kangangokuba abafundi bakhe bebanga leshumi bavele rhoqo kuluhlu lwabafundi abaphume kwiindawo ezintathu zokuqala kuMzantsi Afrika uphela esiXhoseni. Ngenxa yesakhono sakhe ekufundiseni isiXhosa, uzibone sele ecelwa naliSebe lezeMfundo leSizwe ukuba abe ngumhloli weemviwo zokuphela konyanyaka zebanga leshumi. Emva koko, uye wabizwa kwakhona yiYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch ukuba aze kusebenza njengomfundisi-ntsapho osisigxina wesiXhosa. Ukuzimisela kwakhe ekuphuhliseni isiXhosa kubonakele nakumawonga awafumene kwingqonyela yeYunivesithi yaseStellenbosch ngenxa yokubalasela kwakhe ekufundiseni. Kukwakule yunivesithi ke apho athe wazibona sele etweza amaphiko ngokwenza imisebenzi yolwimi efana nokuba ngumbhali wekholamu nomhleli oncedisayo wephephandaba lesiXhosa leNtshona Koloni, uDizindaba; engumbhali weerivyu, umhleli kwanomfundi oqinisekisa imibhalo-ngqangi phantsi kweZiko leNcwadi; kutsha nje uqalile ukufaka isandla ekubhaleni iirivyu zeencwadi zesiXhosa phantsi kombutho obizwa ngokuba nguSlip, eStellenbosch.