The Best Southern African Songs Right Now

October came and went, leaving behind endless streams of music, with the attendant drama that comes with the industry. Earlier this month, Gwyza of the TKZee Family went to the David Mashabela podcast with grievances about how his group members did him and Mageu, another member who’s now deceased, fowl. Social media went up in flames, with Loyiso, also a member of the group, coming out to debunk his claims. This happens during the same month that the late Tokollo Tshabalala, often credited as the best lyricist in kwaito music, would have turned 50 years old.

In hip-hop news, Nasty C made South African rap history with his Speed Run series in which he brought various artists into the studio and streamed as they raced against the clock to record a track. The sessions generated a lot of talking points online, and further cemented him as one of the most innovative, hardworking musicians of this era.

This month, we bring you burners from Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho and South Africa. These are the best Southern African songs right now. 

Luh’ra — “Two Things” (South Africa)

Delicate, incisive, and precise. Taken together, these words start to define how Cape Town-based musician Luh’ra navigates her gift for song. On “Two Things,” she explores dichotomies, holds conflicting emotions in tension, and perfects the art of the mournful gesture, heart and guitar in hand. “Two things can exist at the same time,” she sings, her voice soaring with each note. She makes the case for balance, showing how care for ourselves and care for others can find common ground.

Trapdee — “Over Everything” (Zimbabwe)

“Over Everything” lathers the mind with the incomparable comfort of knowing that, though the world is burning and everything is falling apart, music will always carry us through. Zimbabwe’s Trapdee doesn’t so much console the beat as annihilate it, approaching the track with the mindset of a trap superstar ready for prime-time lyrical mastery. The premise is simple: he prefers focusing on himself above everything else and would like to keep it that way. We love a self-loving king.

PatricKxxLee — Diary of an Arsonist 2 [LP] (Zambia)

For close to a decade, PatricKxxLee has pursued the dark, deviant art of rapping from the other side of the tracks. Diary of an Arsonist 2 arrives nine years after the debut that introduced him as a potential leader of the South African underground, an album that time has treated kindly. Here, we witness his growth, along with proof of the clear-eyed vision he possessed from the outset. Album opener “Don’t Stop” crackles with bright synths and a breakneck drum pattern; “Too Lit Too Wild” chronicles the epic life of a rap outsider; and “Polopolo,” featuring Jae Cash, the album’s sole guest appearance, makes the Zambian connection explicit.

!Sooks, Sarnilo — “Complicated” (Eswatini)

!Sooks’ staying power is bottomless. He has a ton of bangers, each one sharpened by the mind of one of the sickest talents to emerge from Eswatini. Here, he’s joined by vocalist Sarnilo, who elevates an already incredible tune to even greater heights. This one requires that you move every part of your body without pausing. It’s spiritual, and it demands your full attention.

Sisonke Xonti — uKholo [LP] (South Africa)

Sisonke Xonti’s third album in as many years arrives with the assured touch of a master composer, an instrumentalist of rare sensitivity, and a musician of exceptional discipline and appeal. Across nine songs, he delivers fiery blows against the system, soothes our pain with searing lullabies, and reminds us of our collective strength and beauty. Produced by Simbad and featuring Mandisi Dyantyis on the opening track, “Khanya,” uKholo is another Xonti offering we’ll be bumping for a long time to come.

Bokani Dyer Trio — Traditions [LP] (South Africa)

Bokani Dyer has one of the more varied discographies in South African music, with credits spanning traditional jazz, neo-soul, lo-fi, and even house music. On Traditions, he strips the musical landscape bare, revisiting the piano-trio format he last explored on 2018’s Neo Native. This time, Timothy Norton handles bass duties while Lumanyano Mzi holds down the drums, laying down grooves so epic they’ll need a supporting cast to survive in the next life. “Thembisa,” featuring Phoebe Mgxaji, is immersive; “Hyacinth,” a composition he previously explored on 2020’s Kelenosi, embodies tradition; “African Piano: Inxembula” builds on a recurring theme in his repertoire; and “Reconstruction & Development” is epic in every way imaginable.

Sampa the Great — “Location” (Zambia)

This is lyrical warfare, an assault so lethal it leaves no traces behind. Check the scoreboard: “Yo, run me that base, don't play in my face/ they made me a villain, I'm catching a case,” fires Sampa the Great, setting a cascading, treacherous precedent on the mic. The music draws on the Zamrock tradition she explores further on her forthcoming album, Nu Zamrock. For now, she’s left us with this piece of paradise to help us breathe easier while we wait.

Zinia — Devotion & Other Mistakes [EP] (Eswatini)

Devotion & Other Mistakes captures Eswatini-based Zinia’s life in progress: a record that marks the moment, etching the present into something more permanent, something that shifts the frequency. We reckon with our own limitations on “Storm,” embrace the extremes of loving someone on “Stuck With You,” where she sings, “Thinking out loud, baby you should be here/ but it’s all one now, cause I don’t want you here,” and negotiate freedom on “Next Mistake.” The songwriting is ethereal, the production outstanding, and Zinia’s voice a constant source of assurance, guiding us toward better versions of ourselves.

Yadis — “Mhamha” (Zimbabwe)

Zimbabwe’s Yadis lets her heart bleed on “Mhamha,” a song dedicated to her mother. “Mama, you’re my everything,” she declares, a sentiment as old as time. Her voice soothes the soul, her pen game runs circles around most, and the dancehall direction she takes makes the song all the more potent. The message carries it, gratitude for those who make it possible to live out our dreams fully.

Phoka Ea Boroa — “U Ratiloe” (Lesotho)

“Ke bone ha letsatsi la mariha le likela (I saw the winter sun setting),” belts Phoka Ea Boroa on “U Ratiloe,” a wedding song released just in time for the season. Celebratory in spirit, it centers love and belonging, expanding the heart in unexpected ways. The music, unmistakably influenced by famo, is light and affirming, drawing you in with a melody that captivates at every turn.