'Thandazinto' single cover from Kwaito artist Makhalanjalo.

Listen to Makhalanjalo's New Single 'Thand'izinto'

Listen to Makhalanjalo's New Single 'Thand'izinto'

Listen to new artist Makhalanjalo's kwaito single 'Thand'izinto' from the upcoming album 'Amanzi'.

Makhalanjalo has released his highly-anticipated single "Thand'izinto". The single is the latest offering from the the relatively new artist who has swept through Cape Town's music scene. "Thand'izinto" comes ahead of the upcoming album Amanzi.


Read: Interview: Mx Blouse Pushes the Boundaries of Kwaito on Debut Album 'Elementality'

"Thand'izinto" is the kwaito single for those nostalgic for the classic kwaito sound. Makhalanjalo brings back the wavy sounds of old-school kwaito with synthesizers and drums. The Cape Town-based artist spits fun Xhosa lyrics while also delivering a light dance song. "Thand'izinto" refers to a person who likes going out, having a great time and just generally enjoying life.

According to Between10and 5, Makhalanjalo performed "Thand'izinto" late last year at the Raptor Room in Cape Town before the single's official release. The video of the performance was later uploaded to TikTok to promote the single. Makhalanjalo's social media promotions reportedly led to a wave of positive response coming from as far as China. The artist then travelled to Johannesburg, the hotspot of kwaito's resurgence. Once there, he immersed himself in the music and went on to perform with prominent upcoming acts such as Thando Simelane and North The Jap.

"Thand'izinto" was produced by 23-year-old Cape Town-based music producer and DJ Sindiso Tshumo, known by his stage name Insertcoinz.

Listen to "Thand'izinto" on Apple Music:

Listen to "Thand'izinto" on Spotify:

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Photo by Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images.

Costa Titch Was Just Getting Started

Following his tragic passing, we take a look back at the polarising South African rapper’s career.

AKA expressed that his and Costa Titchs joint album, You’re Welcome, helped take him out of a dark place after losing his fiancé in 2020. “He and I started just hanging out, and he brought me out of my shell, saying, ‘Come out, come make music again, come start performing again,’” AKA told HYPE Magazine two weeks before being shot and killed in Durban last month.

Costa Titch, who died a month later while performing on stage at Ultra Festival in Joburg, had met AKA through Riky Rick, who also passed away in 2022. AKA and Riky appeared on the remix to Costa Titch’s 2019 breakout hit “Nkalakatha”—and AKA they hit it off from then.

Breaking Through to the Mainstream

The “Nkalakatha” remix was Costa Titch’s knighting event. Following years of bubbling under, the New Wave (South Africa’s SoundCloud rap scene) pioneer had not just caught the attention of two of the biggest rappers in the country, but he was on a song with them.

Costa Titch had worked his way up from dancing with his homeboy Benny Chill while growing up in Nelspruit in the Mpumalanga province. Costa and his crew had a stint as Cassper Nyovests’ official dancers in the mid-2010s. But Costa Titch found himself being a recording artist after making music with Tumi Tladi (another South African rapper who passed on last year). Their thinking was that, in order for their dance videos to be played on TV, they needed to be accompanied by original music. When people fell in love with their music, the two rappers ran with it and Costa Titch started building his name in South Africa’s SoundCloud rap scene.

By the time of his death, Costa Titch had grown into an A-list South African artist. His breakout hit “Big Flexa” had gone viral through a TikTok challenge and a music video that had surpassed 40 million views. His lyrical approach to amapiano was reminiscent of Focalistic’s style. “‘Ke Star’ like Foca,” Costa rapped on the song which featured his early collaborator Alfa Kat alongside Sdida, Man T, C’buda and the duo Banaba Des.

Polarising Nature

While millions of fans danced to Costa’s viral hits, the critics were crying foul play at a white kid appropriating black culture. “I had a lot black friends and I connected with black people more,” Costa Titch explained in an interview with SlikourOnLife. “I’ve just been around African culture.” Costa Titch’s best friend growing up was the rapper Benny Chill with whom he remained close until he passed on. “I’m learning Zulu through making music,” Costa said at the time.

The game opened its arms to the young rapper. His debut album Made In Africa, which dropped in 2020, featured the likes of DJ Maphorisa, Sjava, Riky Rick, AKA, Boity, Boskasie, YoungstaCPT and a few other South African music stars.

Costa Titch’s music was catchy and allowed him and his dancers to give a lively show on stage. He also maintained the dance element in his music which was helpful in an era when fans connect with songs they can dance to on camera, becoming TikTok sensations in the process.

Explaining the joint album, AKA said the two of them had set out to make a “non musical project.” “We are living in the amapiano era. So we said how can we make amapiano without making amapiano,” he said. “We wanted to make TikTok songs… We didn’t wanna make long songs.”

Saving AKA’s Life

You’re Welcome hardly made a dent. The album wasn’t well-received by fans and its lead single “Super Soft” didn’t do much either. It also felt too soon for AKA to be making music after the controversial passing of Nellie.

To AKA, though, You’re Welcome meant a lot. He was introduced to Costa’s younger fanbase as the duo performed in spaces AKA wouldn’t normally give the time of the day. Costa Titch saved AKA’s life, but both rappers, unbeknown to anyone at the time, didn’t have much time left.

AKA passed on two weeks before the release of Mass Country, his comeback album which was led by the monster single “Lemons (Lemonade)” which featured Nasty C, a rapper AKA has invited to rap on stage in Durban many moons before Nasty became a superstar himself.

Costa Titch was only getting started. His career had just taken off. At this year’s Cotton Fest in February, Costa brought out Akon as a surprise guest. The Konvict Kulture head honcho announced a partnership between his company and the South African rapper. “I wanna inaugurate him into the Konvict Kulture family,” he said. A remix of “Big Flexa” featuring Akon followed a week after. Costa Titch was about to make the world his oyster. But the universe had other plans. He collapsed while performing at Ultra and was pronounced dead almost instantly.

Costa Titch was a polarising artist as, while some felt he was performing musical black face, those on his side felt he was just being a citizen of a post-racial South Africa where racial and cultural lines are blurred the way Mandela envisioned.

Others hailed Costa Titch as an icon, understandably so. “You were that white kid who stood out like a sore thumb because of how incredibly skilled, technical, intentional, creative, professional, disciplined, hardworking and wildly amazing you were as a multitalented dancer and choreographer,” wrote Bontle Modiselle, who also spent a long time in the thriving South African hip-hop dance scene of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Costa Titch joins a plethora of popular South African musicians who have passed on in what seems like a purge of sorts. In the last two years South Africa has lost talents such as Riky Rick, AKA, Tumi Tladi, Mpura, Killer Kau, DJ Dimplez, DJ Citi Lyts, Mampintsha and DJ Sumbody, a majority of who were on top of their game and had exciting futures ahead of them in the game.

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Photo by Cindy Ord for Getty

Trevor Noah Wins Prestigious Erasmus Prize

Trevor Noah is the first comic to win the prestigious Erasmus Prize since Charlie Chaplin in 1965.

Popular South African comic Trevor Noah has won the prestigious Erasmus Prize from The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation The award is named after Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus' most famous piece of work.

According to a statement from The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, Noah was receiving the prize “for his inspired contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly,’ named after Erasmus’s most famous book, which is filled with humor, social criticism and political satire.” (Desiderius Erasmus was a an influential Dutch philosopher from the northern Renaissance era.)

Noah is the first comic since 1965 who has been awarded the honor. The last comic to win the prize was Charlie Chaplin, who received the honor in 1965. Since 1958, The Erasmus Prize has been awarded to recipients who are recognized for a wide range of achievements, including literature, music, philosophy, and social activism. Some of the notable recipients who have received the award in the past include Jorge Luis Borges, Isaiah Berlin, Ingmar Bergman, and Amartya Sen.

The panel who selects awardees for the prize include a committee of scholars and cultural experts who review nominations and make a recommendation to the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation after weighing in on the strength of each candidate. After the recommendation, it is then up to the board to make the final decision on the recipient of the award. The prize is typically awarded in the fall during a ceremony in the Dutch royal palace in Amsterdam.

Beyond his work as a comic, the former Daily Show host has been vocal about his social justice advocacy and has been a strong advocate for human rights issues on a general scale. While he was a host on The Daily Show, he consistently used his voice to highlight other prominent Africans. It is safe to say that the 39-year-old has indeed made South Africa proud.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Watch the Trailer for 'Gangs of Lagos,' Amazon's First African Movie

Amazon's Gangs of Lagos will premiere on April 7th.

Nollywood is coming to Prime Video.

On Monday, the conglomerate announced that it would be releasing Gangs of Lagos, its first original African movie, on April 7th. The project, which is directed by renowned filmmaker Jáde Osiberu, features Nigerian stars like Tobi Bakare, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Chike Osebuka, Chioma Chukwuka, and Iyabo Ojo.

The movie will follow the lives of a group of friends as they navigate the bustling streets of Lagos.

In a press release, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, head of Nigerian Originals at Prime Video, described the movie as a story that highlights the importance of friendship and family.

"Gangs of Lagos is a unique story about family and friendship, against the action-packed backdrop and striking set pieces of the streets of Lagos,” Mba-Uzoukwu said. “As the first Nigerian Original to launch on Prime Video, Gangs of Lagos sets the tone and standard, with the authentically Nigerian storyline in a genre that is so popular around the globe, making it a movie for our audiences at home and abroad.”

Gangs of Lagos - Official Teaser | Prime Video Naijawww.youtube.com

Located on the country's southwest coast, Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria. Over the years, the vibrant city has become known for its bustling economy, eclectic culture, and rich history. The crime drama promises to showcase the nitty gritty rumble and tumble of Lagos, as well as the authentic elements that make it one of the most renowned cities in the world.

Ned Mitchell, head of African and Middle East Originals, Prime Video said that with the roll out, Prime Video was hoping to connect with original voices.

“At Prime Video, we are looking to work with original voices to create spectacular stories and events that audiences can connect with wherever they may be,”

Mitchell said. "Gangs of Lagos launching will truly be a global cultural moment that marks the beginning of a new era in storytelling, where audiences everywhere can see the full power of Nigerian and African voices and the depths of our continued commitment to the local TV and film industry.”
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Mr. Beast and Charity In The Age Of Content

Trying to help the less fortunate in Africa can often be co-opted into commercial videos, images, and product-driven messages.

The story goes: the perfect recipe for a viral charity video in Africa is barren ground, unidentified shoeless Black children, conflicted mothers gazing off into the distance, a fly gliding over still puddles of gravel water, a white voice as an overlay, and a link to donate at the very end.

Charity and philanthropic pursuits have been part of human existence for centuries, from both a genuine human perspective and as a social and political tool to retain power and influence. As the ages pass, it might be high time to recentre the conversation about what our philanthropy looks like. When we’ve gone past the actual act of giving, what happens in and around that? For popular YouTubers, what was the process of producing the video?

For a rising politician, is there a conversation about using images of poverty-stricken communities to, yes, help, but also further an agenda?

Over the years, we have seen countless initiatives from large corporate organizations, small businesses, successful entrepreneurs, celebrities, and more recently influencers and content creators. The goal? To help people around the world. The vehicle? A photo album as evidence, a YouTube video, an Instagram reel, or some sort of visual documentation that goes beyond just the act of charity.

The common argument is that these assets could never be self-aggrandizing but are there to inspire others to either join in or make their own change. Whilst this is generally true, there is something to be said about the quality of messaging that self-proclaimed philanthropists create and maintain. What of the women, men, and children who are part and parcel of why these messages tug on the heartstrings of first-world viewers?

The following three videos are good examples of how a noble pursuit can easily devolve into something unrecognizable. Trying to help the less fortunate can often be co-opted into commercial videos, images, and product-driven messages, rather than about the dignity of the people being assisted in the first place.

Mr. Beast purchases 20,000 shoes for vulnerable South African school children

Giving 20,000 Shoes To Kids In Africayoutu.be

If you have the slightest interest in outrageous and dopamine-inducing YouTube videos, you’ve probably come across a Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson) video. His titles are provocative and inviting enough for anyone to deep dive into the world of video content creation. “1000 Blind People See For The First Time,” “We Saved An Orphanage,” “We Built Wells In Africa” and “Giving 20, 000 Shoes To Kids In Africa.” If you’re interested in the well-being of humanity, these titles might drag you right to these videos. Whilst noble in pursuit, it might be time to continue asking questions.

In the “Giving 20, 000 Shoes To Kids In Africa” video, Beast Philanthropy heads to the Western Cape Province in South Africa to deliver school shoes to disadvantaged children. In partnership with the Barefoot No More organization based in South Africa, Beast Philanthropy was able to organize elaborate shoe handovers for nine different schools in the Western Cape. It can’t be argued that the children who received the school shoes were better for it, but the video itself as a mode of communication is marred with drips of hyperbole and mistruths that fracture the overall picture.

The voice-over remarks that children in South Africa often find themselves entirely shoeless and the day the Mr. Beast foundation arrived was the day many of the children received their “first pair of shoes ever.” The shots of barren land and dilapidated infrastructures harken back to the ‘right’ concoction of footage to garner sympathy from Western audiences.

The multiple close-up shots of shoeless school children leave the viewer to wonder what the process of consent from their parents and guardians was for their participation. If charity, specifically that which is directed towards African children, is the goal, then how they are represented in these videos should always be just as much of a concern.

The video has faced criticism online, with many expressing sentiments about the sensationalism of the video. To which Mr. Beast remarked on Twitter that “our charity owns this channel, I thought it’d be fun to use my fame to create a loop of helping. Film good deed, inspire millions of kids to do good, use revenue from good deed to do next good deed.” It must also be noted that Mr. Beast isn’t the first and won’t be the last to engage in this version of philanthropy.

How To Build A School In Africa With Jerry Rig Everything

How to Build a School in Africa?! - Thank YOU!!www.youtube.com

The video details the process from fundraising all the way to the construction of a school in Kenya. Zack and his wife Cambry are welcomed into the community with a warmth that isn’t uncommon in many close-knit African cities, villages, and urban areas. There’s a level of reverence, however, that the community seems to attach to the couple on their immediate arrival that elevates them to somewhat of a stately position.

The couple is gentle, thoughtful, and intentional in their interaction with the community and the documentation of school building provides an interesting perspective that not many see. Whilst the actions are commendable, what sticks out again in this video is the presence of Kenyan children in their numbers, teachers, and workers.

With the focus squarely on the couple, one almost forgets that the children and adults in the background are people and not props that go along with the sandy roads and lush terrain.

The content that comes along with this type of charity work often, whether intentionally or not, plays into the narratives of powerlessness and lack of agency in these communities that are often referred to by country or continent.

About Serving Orphans Worldwide

About Serving Orphans Worldwidewww.youtube.com

About one minute into this video the line — “the church is the solution to the orphan crisis” appears in the middle of the screen. The viewer sees elegant montages of children from different countries interacting with each other. A representative of Serving Orphans Worldwide remarks that in addition to assistance from their organization, they offer an opportunity for children to grow in their relationship with Christ.

Again we see a promotional video that’s extremely intentional with the messaging in the voice-over narration, choice of camera shots, and overall tone. The agenda is clear — to assist vulnerable children without families from across the globe, but also to promote a Christian message. Whilst it might be noble in intent, what does it mean to offer refuge that comes with subtle conditions?

Countless people around the world benefit from the charity of organizations, people, and leaders. At the same time, in a continent with hundreds of indigenous faiths, why are African children being pointed to faith as their way out of poverty? In a country like South Africa, why are townships being referred to as rural areas? How does an umbrella remark like, “these are their first pair of shoes ever,” make it into the final cut of the video?

Do we forego asking questions about the presence of a well-meaning white man in the building of a school just because he was part of financing it? To say there are only problems and that there’s nothing to be done might be the easy way out. It is possible for content creators and organizations who use video as their method of promotion for charity and philanthropy, to do it better.

When creating content for charity, the Devil is in the details

When you travel to countries in Africa, say their names in your video. If your beneficiaries struggle to speak English, get a translator, subtitle your video, and tell viewers what language they’re speaking. If you feel like you need dozens of children in your video, get consent from each and every one of their guardians — and if that doesn’t strike you as important, ask yourself why.

If you’re going to use a voice-over for narration, make sure that it’s accurate. When you’re filming shots and b-roll to support your video, think about whether you might be sensationalizing the content to pander to your audience at the cost of the people you’re trying to help. I’d like to think that poverty and displacement can never be a reason for anyone’s personal autonomy, dignity, and choice to be ignored.

In a world where content creation and philanthropy continue to intersect, the devil will always be in the details.

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