We pick Makhadzi as Entertainer of the Year

The nimble-footed, swashbuckling pint-sized Makhadzi is Sowetan’s Entertainer of the Year. If it’s not for her unmatched energy levels and stage presence, then it’s for her anthemic singalongs that have put many fans in a trance.

There is no other performer more deserving. No live music stage was complete without Makhadzi as a headliner and the significance of the honour is not lost to her.

“It’s truly humbling to be chosen as Sowetan’s Entertainer of the Year, especially because I was chosen among many other talented entertainers,” she says.

She is right, the music scene has not been more competitive than now. There are many other entertainers from other genres who are doing amazing things and taking on international stages, but none other has shown the grit, determination and commitment to the craft like Makhadzi.

Her Cinderella tale continues, three years after her big break in the music industry having escaped domestic work when she arrived in Tembisa, Gauteng, from her home village in Venda. She has now come into her own as the queen of dance and shown more dynamism, skill and unrivalled passion with her performances. Whether it was at Miss SA, the SA Music Awards, Fill Up Mmabatho Stadium or Basadi in Music Awards, Makhadzi was the centrepiece and the audiences in the venue or tuning/streaming lapped up her show(wo)manship.

At a time when amapiano is all the rage, it must have not been easy for Makhadzi to assert her authority and go against the grain, but her magnetism has made her impossible to ignore.

A proponent of Limpopo’s Tsa Manyalo genre, her music delivers exoticism that is rarely found in local music. Her autotuned voice set to thumping beats on genre-bending hits like Zwivhuya featuring Jon Delinger, and Ghanama featuring Prince Benza carry a je ne sais quoi that at once make her an experimental pathfinder and one of the great ambassadors of South African music.

It’s little wonder that when she ascended the stages of Canadian, UK and Australia cities this year she found a ready audience that sang along with her and mouths agape dazzled by her footwork that packs a punch and emotional sincerity in some of the songs such as Tchukutsha. 

These audiences got to witness what South African fans have known all along and keep streaming her music that you can always bank on Makhadzi to electrify a venue.

Taking stock of what is possibly her busiest year yet, Makhadzi pins it all down to taking her craft seriously.

“It took long hours of hard work in studio, sacrifices and consistency,” she shares.

No two shows of hers are ever the same, she always leaves room for spontaneity and spur-of-the-moment bursts of creativity that leaves audiences with a moment to remember. Reflecting on 2022, she points out two milestones that bookmarked her upward trajectory in the industry.

“The highlight of the year has to be when I launched my African Queen album and hosted my ‘One Woman Show’ in my hometown in Venda, those were unforgettable,” she recalls.

The One Woman Show at Makhuvha Stadium in Thohoyandou was a soldout affair that attracted supporting acts such as Master KG,  Sho Madjozi, Daliwonga and Lady Du. African Queen spurned hits like Salungano featuring Kabza De Small and MaYellowbone featuring Prince Benza secured her space in the annals of music history.

The 2022 year-end review figures are out and they point to one thing – there is no slowing down Makhadzi.

She is one of only two women in the top 10 most streamed South African artists globally on Spotify, the other being Ami Faku. She is the second most viewed artist, male or female, on TikTok, beaten only by Pabi Cooper.

Touring, being on stage most days of the week, sharing her space with her hordes of fans and admirers surely takes its toll on one’s mental state and there comes a time when one has to be selfish and put herself first, and this is exactly what Makhadzi experienced this year.

“In 2022 I learnt to be patient with myself and be more kind to myself,” she says.

She had to learn to say no to say yes to what serves her and brings her joy. Fans often see the star and forget to afford the person a space to be a fallible human.

As much as 2022 brought her amazing highs it also presented a few challenges, one of which was the ill-fated deal with sneaker maker Kicks which is now headed to court and claims of bridge of contract flying from both camps.

Her much anticipated performance at the Sama was also a sore point for how hurriedly it was staged as part of a three-minute medley featuring other musicians.  

Makhadzi looks forward to building on the gains she made in 2022 and consolidating her place in the industry. Hers is a simple strategy of organic growth fuelled by hard work and crafts(wo)manship. She harbours dreams of expanding beyond music and stepping into the fields of beauty and cosmetics.

After such an impressive run, we can always count on Makhadzi to set the bar higher in 2023.