Hlamalani Marvel Maphophe born on the 24th May 1965 as the fourth born son of the late Wilson Maphophe, and Winnie Maphophe. Marvel did his primary education at in 1972 until 1978 at Sukani Primary School in Giyani Township in Limpopo. He proceeded with his secondary education at Giyani High School from 1979 until matriculation in 1984. He participated in various extra-mural activities during his school days but somehow fell in love with choral music during those TUATA days. He then joined the then Giyani Adult Choir as a high school learner in 1984 and remained a chorister and an executive committee member until 2002. He obtained his Secondary Teachers’ Diploma with the then Tivumbeni College of Education in 1987. He had a short stint with Rhida Primary School as an educator and then proceeded to Nghonyama High School in 1988. He became actively involved in PEU in 2004 and was ultimately elected the Branch Secretary of Twananani. He was then co-opted to be the Deputy Secretary of Letaba North in 2004. In the subsequent years he became the Secretary of Letaba North District until his co-option as the Deputy General Secretary. Marvel is currently in his second term as an elected Deputy General Secretary. He is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of South Africa (EPCSA) attached to the EPC Giyani East Parish. He became a Church Elder in 2004 and was down the years elected as the Parish Secretary in 2011 until August 2019.
He was also elected as the Vice Secretary of the EPC Giyani Presbytery in 2016. Marvel is the current Secretary of the EPC Giyani Presbytery. He is married to Ruth Maphophe nee’ Mabala and blessed with two daughters, Tlangelani and Rhandzanani.