11 South African Women Musicians Pushing the Boundaries

Nanette

Nanette is standing at the cusp of something monumental. With her forthcoming album, Painfully Happy, she's deliberately pushing herself into uncharted territory. "I was definitely going bigger and better with this project. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and really push the boundaries of the music and with myself and my writing," she says to OkayAfrica.

The Durban-born artist has long been admired for her vocal agility and lyricism, and this new body of work is set to cement her place among South African R&B's leading voices. "I really think SA R&B is the moment right now. We've got so many diverse forms of R&B, and everybody is just contributing to the bigger picture, which I think is really beautiful."

Nanette traces her sense of integrity back to her great-grandfather, poet and linguist J.J.R Jolobe, who helped translate the isiXhosa dictionary. "They left the legacy of preserving culture. That's what I want to try to do as well. My main goal is always to keep that same integrity and quality control they were so strict on."

Her forthcoming project moves seamlessly between diaristic R&B, cinematic storytelling, and dance-floor-ready collaborations. "When it comes to the R&B, that's more vulnerable, more introspective. But when I write songs for the dance floor, my main purpose is to make people dance. It's okay if I repeat a few things; it's about the progression of the melodies."

Nanette's journey has been one of constant duality: Durban warmth and Eastern Cape winters, isiZulu and isiXhosa, poetry and pop, vulnerability and bravado. "I think now it's much easier," she reflects. "I'm finding the balance between what I can share with people and what I can keep to myself."

Umzulu Phaqa

Music has always been a part of Umzulu Phaqa's life. "My father's love for country music and my mother's passion for gospel shaped my earliest listening experiences. Added to that, my grandfather was a Maskandi guitar player," she tells OkayAfrica. "The real turning point came when I realized that many South Africans shy away from experimenting musically, preferring safe formulas and proven methods. For me, rules are imaginary, made up by people who, in truth, don't even exist in the spaces where art truly lives. That shift completely changed my perspective and approach to music."

After gracing songs by everyone from Prince Kaybee to Lemon & Herb, Kwesta to Citizen Deep, she is ready to release her solo body of work, created alongside fellow artist and producer Msfit. "My sound is about bridging the old and the new. I take the language and cultural richness of isiZulu and present it in a way that even someone from across the world can connect with. As we say in isiZulu, 'Sifaka isintu estayeleni' (we bring tradition into style). Times are always evolving, so I stay true to what defines me while still moving forward with the world," she says.

Her album is set to be released any day now, following two successful listening sessions. "Listeners can expect something fresh, bright, and fun. Music, at its core, is joy and beauty, and we need more artists who embody that spirit. This album is multifaceted and not limited to a single genre, offering something for everyone. Above all, be ready for something exciting and new," she adds.

Thando Zide

At 25, Thando Zide is quietly carving out her place in South Africa's music scene, balancing the ambition of an independent artist with the realities of daily life. Her journey, marked by introspection and dedication, has been shaped as much by personal growth as by her musical explorations.

Thando Zide's path to the studio wasn't immediate. "The first time I stepped into a studio, I was so nervous," she recalls. Starting in 2020, she often recorded at home during lockdown and learned to navigate her own workflow. By 2021, she felt comfortable recording herself and found freedom in creating music independently. "I prefer recording myself," she says to OkayAfrica. "I know my workflow. I can go for hours and forget to eat. I just get lost in it."

Her debut EP, Umvula, is a culmination of these years of experimentation and self-discovery. Songs first sketched on her phone evolved into fully produced tracks, blending neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop, and African musical elements. Growing up in a family of healers instilled in her a sensitivity to human emotion, which permeates her songwriting. "Even if I don't say it outright, I want my music to heal," she explains.

Collaboration is also vital. Working with producers like Ndabo Zulu and artists such as Manana and Thando Zide thrives on a balance of guidance and creative freedom. She handpicks her bandmates, often friends from social media connections, ensuring that the people around her enhance the music rather than dictate it. "I love working with people who give you space to be yourself," she says.

Thando's songs are deeply personal, often grappling with vulnerability and emotion.

Choosing independence has been both challenging and rewarding. Funding her music from her own resources, she invests time and money into her craft, fully owning her creative output. "I'll remain independent until it pays off," she says. "Everything is my own. I don't answer to anyone. I make the decisions, and I reap the rewards."

Amarafleur

Getting her musical start in the same New Zealand ecosystem that produced acts such as Ladi6 and Fat Freddy's Drop, Amarafleur transitioned into a South African music ecosystem that was only starting to embrace R&B. She rode the wave, issuing releases on SoundCloud that helped grow her fan base. She struck a chord with 2021's… And Then I Stopped Caring, and collaborated with artists such as Tyson Sybatelli and Mx Blouse over the years.

"I don't necessarily see shifts in the representation of women in the music industry, more than I see women shifting this representation for themselves. I'm incredibly proud of so many women artists, and how they unwaveringly choose who they want to be, how they want to sound, and share their art on their own terms," she tells OkayAfrica. According to her, what still needs to change is the conservatism of the South African and African music ecosystems, particularly in how women choose to represent themselves. "We shouldn't still feel like we're taking a huge risk by wearing certain looks, creating edgy promo content, or writing lyrics that are designed to make you jolt. It slows our entire ecosystem's progress in many ways," she adds.

The artist embraces the ability to release music at her own pace, though it comes with anxieties. "There's an endless anxiety that comes with 'going quiet' and subsequently being forgotten if you're not constantly putting out songs. The music I have created has held its ground so far, and perhaps, according to others' metrics, it may not be enough. But if you can still listen to Whole today, I can safely say I challenged conventions and chose timelessness or frequency."

Ncesh Nonxishi

"My mother is one of the first poets whose poetry I ever recited at about 12 years old," says musician Ncesh Nonxishi. Her debut album, Apho Kunje, released in 2024, arrived as a fresh breeze on the already vibrant South African jazz scene. She also credits her grandmother's creative use of language as part of the influence on how she approaches words. "So I think as a songwriter who often writes from the perspective of a Black woman, I've definitely taken something from them as the women who raised me," she tells OkayAfrica.

"I'm also very inspired by the creativity expressed in Xhosa folk songs, especially the explicit, erotic kind sung by elderly women. When it comes to performance, I'm inspired by many women, including Miriam Makeba, Busi Mhlongo, Nina Simone, Thandiswa Mazwai, and Zoë Modiga, among others. I love seeing a woman in command on stage while also letting go and being entirely free. As someone who took their time to come out with music, I've spent a lot of time just studying women when they perform, also being obsessed with their stage looks."

The artist will be presenting her music at this year's Joy of Jazz festival and is aware of the many challenges women face in the music industry, which mirror broader societal issues. "So you need to uproot patriarchy, misogyny, femicide in society first for women in music to benefit. Quick fixes, though, could be: music education for all girls and boys, booking more women and paying them well, and educating boys and men in music about their destructive behavior, but also how to build genuine connections with the women they interact with," she shares.

Eli Mary

Joburg-based artist Eli Mary began piano lessons at a young age and continued them through university, where she studied jazz. "I learned theory and was discouraged from breaking rules, in classical music especially. Coming from that purely academic background, I have spent a lot of time trying to bring all these experiences together and discover how to walk outside of the restrictions that everything puts on us, and that's really what shapes the music I make today," she tells OkayAfrica.

Her latest release, "Mullholand," is an introspective, melancholic work where her production skills, penmanship, and voice coalesce to form something strange and magnetic. "On one hand, I think South African artists in general, but particularly South African women, are being emboldened on the world stage, and rightfully so," she says. "Technology has also made it so that people can show their brilliance more directly, for the most part. From where I'm sitting, though, there is still a lot of work to be done. We are still the 'female producers' instead of just the 'producers,' or sometimes our work is only taken seriously until it's evident a woman made it, or sometimes how you look is still prioritized over the quality of your work. So there is still a long way to go in terms of how people think about these things."

Trillion Petals

Trillion Petals' debut EP, Hill After Pale Hill, is a moving exhibit of masterful songwriting, unhurried production, and timeless music. "I usually start with the music, I start with the guitar, then the melody just comes," she says. "I think it's a fairly common experience for songwriters. The melody already exists; it's sort of like you uncover it, you discover it there wanting to be expressed."

"I've always been drawn to a more realistic interpretation of life. I write a lot about love and heartbreak, but I enjoy writing about more esoteric, philosophical themes that aren't commonly explored in music, the human psyche, and what we are as human beings." Hill After Pale Hill gathers five songs that carve out a lane running parallel to her other life as Honeymoan. "Writing with Josh and Skye (my bandmates) was really affirming. By the time I started my solo project, I'd earned so much confidence," she says.

Moonchild Sanelly

Moonchild Sanelly has never been one to shrink herself. With the release of her current album, Full Moon, the self-proclaimed "blue-haired bombshell" leans even deeper into the mix of candor, satire, and vulnerability that has long defined her artistry. For an artist who first caught attention with her electric stage presence and fearless lyricism, Full Moon is a reminder that she continues to rewrite the rules of South African pop stardom on her own terms.

The album explores themes of love, power, and self-discovery. Moonchild Sanelly speaks openly about using music as both a form of confession and rebellion, where party anthems are laced with critique, and playful melodies are anchored by sharp observations about life, sex, and freedom. "It's always been about telling my truth," she insists, framing the record as both a celebration and a mirror.

Her sound remains delightfully unruly, blending gqom's relentless pulse, kwaito's swagger, amapiano grooves, and a punk spirit that refuses categorization. Yet beneath the mischief lies a serious commitment to honesty. "I've always wanted people to dance," she says, "but I also want them to think."

As one of South Africa's most distinctive performers, the artist has built an international reputation while remaining deeply tied to the local scene. Full Moon solidifies that balance: an album that could rock a festival stage in Europe but also soundtrack a night in Durban or Johannesburg. For her, global visibility isn't about leaving home behind, but about amplifying it. Moonchild Sanelly continues to stand out as a shape-shifter who won't be boxed in. Full Moon is more than a release; it's a declaration that her orbit is expanding, and she's bringing the world along.

Lia Butler

From Durban to global stages, Lia Butler is steadily reshaping South African soundscapes with a genre she coined herself. "Neo‑Zulu is a fusion of the sounds that shaped my upbringing," she explains to GQ South Africa, blending amahubo, umaskandi, umbhaqanga, R&B, and neo‑soul into a sound both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

Music ran in Lia Butler's blood from childhood, with songs floating from her mother and aunt. The spark that lit her ambition was discovering SZA. "It made me believe, 'I can do that. I can be like that,'" she recalls. That belief transformed her. "Deep down, I've always known I was destined to be a star," she says.

Choosing her stage name was intentional. Inspired by SZA's "Ju(Lia)," she picked "Lia," and "Butler felt like a perfect fit," now playfully mistaken as related to Jonathan Butler. Her influences range from trailblazers like Simphiwe Dana, whose "Ndirendi" video pushed musical boundaries, to luminaries such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Lira, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Busi Mhlongo, with whom she aspires to stand shoulder to shoulder.

Lia's music is emotionally rich and culturally rooted. She aims to reshape narratives—painting black love as supreme, black women as gods, black culture as beautiful, and black spirituality as powerful. Creating music is pure joy for her. "It's like going to a party… I often prefer freestyling over writing," she says, treating her creative process as celebration and storytelling intertwined.

She's no stranger to standout moments: shooting the striking "Tempela Ya MaSpinara" with Maglera Doe Boy, earning praise from Thandiswa Mazwai, and electrifying audiences at Maftown Heights. Her biggest release so far, "Imimangaliso," emerged from heartbreak. She says she "was ghosted," felt vulnerable, sought spiritual healing, and ultimately bottled all that complex emotion into a song that beautifully captures the duality of love and pain. Her current single, "Umabukisa," floats effortlessly between introspection and celebration, with a heavy, head-nod hip-hop twist that blends airy vocals with subtle, hypnotic rhythms that linger and keep you company.

Yugen Blakrok

South African emcee Yugen Blakrok has spent the past several years living and working in Europe, navigating new spaces, cultures, and challenges while crafting her latest music. In a recent conversation with OkayAfrica, she described the experience as "surreal" and transformative, both personally and artistically.

For Yugen, the process of making her new album was marked by isolation and resourcefulness. Away from the comforts of home and the support systems she was used to, she and her collaborator carved out a recording space in a renovated old house. Every aspect of production – from carrying monitor speakers across the country to building a functional studio – was a grassroots, DIY effort reminiscent of early hip-hop sessions. The intensity of creating in unfamiliar conditions pushed her to experiment and pursue her vision fearlessly.

Living abroad also reshaped her sense of identity. Being a Black South African artist in Europe exposed her to cultural ignorance, micro-aggressions, and the realities of being a minority. These experiences, both frustrating and enlightening, informed her lyrics and artistic choices, giving her work a raw honesty rooted in lived experience.

Despite the distance, family remains central. Yugen recounts the importance of connecting with her mother and siblings, even across continents, as a grounding force. These relationships shaped her emotional resilience and inspired the album's themes – identity, growth, and self-discovery. The move to Europe was strategic, enabling her to engage with international audiences while learning new languages and navigating the global music industry. Yet, she remains deeply rooted in her heritage.

K.Keed

"There's definitely a shift in how South African women are presented in the music industry," says K.Keed to OkayAfrica. The rapper, singer, and songwriter has carved a distinct lane with her music and boasts a range of epic collaborations – from DJ Sliqe and Flow Jones Jr, to Nasty C, to Zoë Modiga and J'Something – that will carry her for years to come.

"Within each era, we've seen a lot of South African and African women take charge of their sounds. I think these pioneers deserve all their flowers. How it's presented offers a way, like, 'here's a variation of what African talent is.' I think embodying it and pioneering it is very important. Choosing to write your own narrative, whether it be through your background, is very important to take charge of your story; it affects how you're perceived and represented," she tells OkayAfrica.

"I do feel like I'm part of a movement. When you get to a point in your career where you see that you're influential and you have an impact with the art that you do, then you have some obligation and responsibility to know that you have an impact on the music industry and certain fans out there. I am part of this hip-hop community and the music industry in general, and I feel like it's important for me and my generation to recognize that, and not be so careless with that. Aspiring to inspire the next generation is such a vital task, and an empowering gift to have."