Wrixon Mpanang'ombe graduated with a BSc in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Malawi (The Polytechnic). Between 2016 and 2021, he worked in corporate environmental management, environmental impact assessment consultancy, and urban sanitation research. Outside work, Wrixon's pursuits included serving on the ExCo of Blantyre Toastmasters Club, winning the World Bank Blog4Dev competition, representing the city of Blantyre as a 2020 UN SDSN Local Pathways Fellow, and participating in the Yenching Global Symposium.

Despite his thriving budding environmental sciences career, for postgraduate study, Wrixon decided to switch back to fulfilling his childhood aspirations of designing better places. He obtained an Honours and a Master's in City and Regional Planning from the University of Cape Town. His academic performance earned him accolades including the Western Cape Government Prize, the South African Planning Institute Prize, and the South African Association of Consulting Professional Planners Prize for the best MCRP dissertation. At UCT, Wrixon also served as a class representative and peer mentor and co-coordinated the Building Care Initiative, which advocates for compassion and wellness. He also worked as a teaching assistant in the metropolitan spatial planning studio course.

As a 2023 Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Wrixon pursued a Master of Urban Design to acquire critical spatial design skills pertinent to his interests for further postgraduate research. Through a research career track, he aspires to make a meaningful contribution towards addressing issues of spatial marginalisation in African cities. His research interests include spatial justice in mobility and access, self-organised city design processes, the efficacy of professional urban design in the “chaotic” African city context, spatial analysis tools and methods appropriate for exploring African urbanism to inform better African urban policy and practice.

Wrixon enjoys recreational walks, RnB music, cooking, reading, podcasts and photography. He is obsessed with reality television series including Big Brother, Idols and Masterchef.