South Africa’s music scene has always been a fertile ground for innovation, but in recent years, a new wave of female artists has emerged to reshape the sound and soul of the country’s electronic and Amapiano landscapes. Their presence stands in the face of a music industry that actively seeks to silence women — be it via exclusion from line-ups, or just failing to actively show up for them. Yet, every year, women flood the scene with a presence that dominates and is impossible to ignore.
OkayAfrica has compiled some of these names below, saviors of the scene who show up as their most authentic selves at every turn. From the ethereal crooning of Nkosazana Daughter to the gospel-infused power of Boohle, the commanding presence of Pabi Cooper, the sibling harmonies of Sai Hle, and the transcendent artistry of Thatohatsi, each artist brings a unique voice, vision, and energy to the table. There are a lot more of them, defining contemporary South African music and elevating its standing globally.
Zee Nxumalo
Eswatini-born and South Africa-raised, Zee Nxumalo is fast becoming one of the brightest stars in South African electronic music. Her vocals glide across a spectrum of styles, from the hard-hitting, percussive grooves of 3-step in tracks like “Mali” and “Ama Gear” with Dlala Thukzin, to the raw, unfiltered energy of lekompo in “Rato Laka” with Shebeshxt, through to the soulful performance she delivers on the Maskandi-leaning “Sajola Kamnandi” with Sminofu. Yet, her impact in Amapiano is just as undeniable. “Ngisakuthanda,” released in September 2024, remains a chart mainstay, a vulnerable plea for forgiveness that is centered on the self-awareness that love can be mishandled. Then there’s “Bhampa,” a sizzling collaboration with Ch’cco over Virgo Deep’s brooding production, where she delivers lines with her signature relaxed confidence. Her ability to distill emotion into lyrics is admirable. She delivers lines, poignant and tender, that stay lodged in the heart. Her vocal gymnastics stretch from straight-ahead singing to sing-rapping to borderline emceeing. Her command of space, time, and silence should be studied.
Babalwa M
Babalwa M shut down the rest of 2024 with her epic collaboration, “Kwelanga 2.0.” Alongside M-Touch, Ranger, Amaza, LeeMcKrazy, and Tman Xpress, she created a song that briefly altered an entire nation’s identity, dropping hints that direction might change at every stop. That song alone would be enough to guarantee her a spot, but she’s done way more with her talent. The year before the release of “Kwelanga 2.0,” she had linked up with Aymos and T-Man SA to deliver “Izenzo,” more of a confessional contained inside of a song than it is a stand-alone manifestation. She’s built a formidable catalogue over the years: 2021’s Msholokazi, featuring luminaries like MFR Souls, T-Man SA, and Tyler ICU; and 2024’s Umculo, where her gift for songwriting and delivering soul-stirring anthems over Amapiano production shines brightest.
Sai Hle
Sai Hle is the sibling duo of Amahle and Siphosethu Koom, a Johannesburg-based group quietly crafting one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary Amapiano. Their harmonies are their secret weapon — voices that intertwine, dissolve, and reappear in glimmers of emotion, as if guided by instinct. You hear it on Marcus Harvey’s “Malume,” a track that leans closer to Afrobeats than Amapiano, and even more vividly on “Sengimoja,” where they glide over sentient Amapiano grooves, stealing hearts with every note and showing no intent of returning them. Listening to Sai Hle feels like floating through a loop padded with tenderness, intimacy, and divine comprehension. On “Thixo,” their collaboration with podcast host MacG, they turn the dance floor into a heartfelt sermon disguised as a groove.
Kamo Mphela
Some artists exist to create moments. They package experiences, whether in the form of a song, a dance routine, or an earth-shattering performance. Kamo Mphela belongs in this league, and the stack of hit records behind her is proof. She is one of one, and excellence walks alongside her always. While the latest release, “Partii,” favors sonics associated with gqom, her previous outings have been seasoned Amapiano anthems, orchestrations that bring more feet to the dance floor. Take 2023’s “Dalie,” which infused bacardi house sensibilities and became one of the biggest songs that year, or 2021’s “Nkulunkulu,” where material culture was elevated to the highest degree while incorporating street slang into the mix.
Thatohatsi
From TikTok virality to features on one of this year’s biggest hits in Kabza De Small and Kelvin Momo’s “Iphupho,” Thatohatsi’s continuing ascent to the top of the Amapiano throne has been laced with spiritual grounding at every step along the way. On the recently released “Amalanga,” she builds spectacular vocal collages alongside Tracy, shifting the energy with intention and a stillness that defies understanding. She imparts wisdom, connects with higher powers, and lights a fire beneath the genre’s evolving emotional palette, inviting listeners into a more transcendent experience of Amapiano. Her voice is a guide towards spiritual alignment, and her path is filled with divine intervention. Every note feels ordained, guiding music lovers along as she continues to carve a space for soul and spirit within the pulse of the dance floor.
Pabi Cooper
Pabi Cooper could’ve been a football star, but then Amapiano came knocking. Born Paballo Basetsana Mothapo in Soshanguve, Pretoria, she grew up on the soccer field, even training to become a referee, before she found her rhythm behind the mic. The 2021 release of “Isphithiphithi” was a strong signal that music was her true calling, and she did her best to shine alongside Reece Madlisa and Joocy on Busta 929’s production.
She never looked back, returning each year to serve up the latest flavor, like she did on the platinum-certified “Thula Mabota” with Zee Nxumalo and 031Choppa, or on “Pabi Jo,” where she dug deep into her Bacardi house roots while Focalistic played the perfect co-star, resulting in one of 2024’s standout anthems. Her voice is a mix of familiar, home-cooked delicacies and youthful zest, a warm, commanding, and instantly recognizable blend of style and grace. There’s a sense of Pretoria pride and streetwise confidence in how she carries herself, both on stage and in song. Through her label, Cooper Entertainment, she’s built a creative universe where dance, music, and fashion intersect — from her high-energy performances to collaborations like her Redbat fashion partnership.
Nkosazana Daughter
One of Nkosazana Daughter’s earliest forays into Amapiano was through Kabza De Small’s “Ebusuku,” where listeners were introduced to her angelic crooning, a spectacle that can neither be defined nor contained. Since then, she has established herself as a formidable presence both within and beyond the scene. Her collaborative album with Wanitwa Mos (formerly Master KG) ventured into the nooks and crannies of Lekompo, fusing its raw, percussive pulse with a nostalgic nod to the bubblegum era of South African music. Yet, she never strays too far from Amapiano’s embrace, as heard on her appearances on Kabza De Small’s “Kabza Chant 2.0” and DJ Tshegu’s “Basela,” alongside Focalistic, Ceehle, Sims Noreng, and Ch’cco. Her voice remains a bridge between worlds, with a rootedness that is both timeless and completely of this moment.
Boohle
Boohle’s story begins in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, where gospel harmonies and Sunday devotion shaped her first understanding of music. Born Buhlebevangeli Hlengiwe Manyathi, she grew up singing in church before finding her way into Amapiano, a transition that would make her one of the genre’s defining voices. Her 2020 collaboration with Josiah De Disciple on Umbuso Wabam’nyama was a turning point and carried both her spiritual grounding and street sensibility. Her voice is as angelic as it is assured, a comforting embrace in the form of a song. That same year, “Izibongo” marked her as a vocalist capable of blending intimacy with scale, and this balance would later define her biggest hits, from the tender plea of “Ngixolele” to the devotional warmth of “Siyathandana” alongside Cassper Nyovest. She reaffirmed her artistic depth with 2024’s Umhlobo, which leaned into soul-inflected Amapiano, expanding her emotional palette while staying grounded in the faith that started it all.
Babalwa M
With “Bothata,” Babalwa M attempted to punch above her weight and actually landed in outer space. That song, composed alongside Amapiano innovators Stixx and Nvcho, was a definitive moment, a memory deserving of a slot in the archives. Her work with Kelvin Momo has resulted in her being named the Queen of Private School Piano, a title she defends not with words, but with banger after banger. She began her musical journey in church, where the foundations of her rich, resonant voice were laid. That gospel grounding would later become a hallmark of her style, giving her tracks a spiritual depth that complements the infectious pulse of Amapiano.
