Wazalelwa eNhlwathi, KwaHlabisa KwaZulu-Natal, 1955. Ufunde eNhlwathi Primary School, washiya iNhlwathi wayohlala e-Verulam. Ube esehlala eKwa-Mashu E Section. Ufunde eVukuzakhe High School. Kusukela eneminyaka engu-12 wazifundisa ukudlala isigingci. Ukushisekela kwakhe imidlalo yeshashalazi kwaqala ngenkathi esebenza efektri kamanyolo lapho abhaliswa khona ukudlala isiginci. Kamuva wajoyina inkampani ebamba iqhaza kumsunguli nosomabhizinisi omkhulu omnyama wezwe ngaleso sikhathi, waqala ukuthola izincwadi zakubhala zemidlalo yaseshashalazini
UNgema ubhale imidlalo yakhe yokuqala ethi ‘Woza Albert!’ Nethi ‘Asinamali’, wathola inkampani yakhe wahambela e-United States nasemhlabeni wonke futhi wawina nezindondo emhlabeni jikelele. I-‘Sarafina ’ilandele yawina ama-NAACP Image Awards ayishumi nanye, yabe seyenziwa yaba yifilimu ewumfakela.

Njengomqophi, i-albhamu kaNgemaeyadlaubhedu eNingizimu Afrika kwaba i-‘Stimela Sase-Zola ’. Ngo-1990, umculo omkhulu kaNgema, kwaba i-‘Township Fever ’, cishe ngesinye seziteleka zabasebenzi esikhulu nesisebenza kahle kakhulu emlandweni wase-Afrika, wasuka e-Market Theatre waya eMelika. Futhi ngo-1990, uNgema waqondisa umsebenzi wakhe wokuqala waseMelika, i- ‘Sheila’s Day’.
Ngo-1994, uNgema wakhipha ingoma esihloko sithi ‘African Solution’ ayibhalela i-National Peace Committee futhi yazuza ama-disc egolide ne-platinum. UNgema ubengomunye wabahleli bezwi be-Lion King, ifilimu ye-Disney futhi uthole indondo ye-multi-platinum. Ngaphezu kwalokho uNgema uzuze izindondo eziningi ukubala azimbalwa:
- Wathola i-Gold Medal for Contribution to the world of Art;
- Wathola i-Edinburgh Fringe First Award,
- Ngo-1985 wathola i-AA Vita Award, Best Production – Sarafina Philadelphia Award,
- Wathola i-Best contribution to SA Music – OKTV,
- Wathola i-City Limits Awards for Best Play – London,
- Wathola i-J&B Rare Achievers Award
Eminyakeni edlule uNgema usekhiqize imidlalo eminingi yasesiteji ehlanganisa; i-Magic at 4 AM (1993), Circle Of Life (African voices) (1995), Mama (1996), Sarafina! 2 (1997), Nikeziwe (2005), The House of Shaka (2006), Lion of the East (2009) and The Zulu (2013).AmaZulu abone ukubuyela kukaMbongeni Ngema esiteji njengoba ayengumdlali ophambili kulo mdlalo owavulwa ngo-Okthoba 2013 owagcwala izibukeli.
“Lena yindaba engayixoxelwa ukhokho wami ngingakabi yilokhu engiyikho. Ngibhale owomculo obizwa nangokuthi The Zulu kodwa wawungeyona imininingwane njengalo mdlalo. Eminyakeni edlule bengiqhubeka nokuyicwaninga ngiyiphelelise futhi lo yiwo umphumela wayo. Bengizizwa ngingenandaba nesiteji – bengifuna ukubuya nomdlalo omuhle.”