Buthelezi studied at the African Institute of Art, the Johannesburg Art Foundation and the University of the Witwatersrand. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

His work predominantly consists of recycled plastic which he melts with a hot air gun and applies as paint. He is interested in figurative and non-figurative subjects.

"My figurative subject matter is the physical condition of the township way of life – which is one of survival. These experiences are sometimes interpreted in a non-figurative style depicted in organic forms and shapes taken from human forms like arms, hands, torsos, etc., as well as landscapes."