Anele Zondo transitions from TV presenting to making music

Anele "Ney-the-Bae" Zondo is the name and serving bars and sexy looks are all part of her game.

The rising star has already made a name for herself, presenting Massive Music on Mzansi Magic for four years. Zondo has now transitioned into making music herself and launching her novice rap career with smash hit Ingwe. She hopes to show fans more of her when she drops her EP later this year.

“Moving from television to music was quite natural for me. I started doing music two years prior to securing a presenting gig on TV,” Zondo says.

“Music flows through me so organically and when I started the idea of wanting to record my own music, I couldn’t help but give it my all. I worked hard perfecting my craft and told myself that one day when I am ready, I’d release nothing short of perfection.”

Zondo’s ear for music was first sparked at a young age when she was in her school choir and her father was a huge music fanatic, introducing her to the classic tunes of Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.

“One thing people would be surprised to know is that I can really sing; I guess people will only judge once my EP drops. I tend to define my music as a cross-genre because I prefer not to be boxed whatsoever,” she says.

“When I first dropped my single Ingwe, I knew people would like it but I wasn’t expecting them to like it this much. Everywhere I go people shout back my lyrics: ‘Ngu Anele Zondo undaba umthiyane’… that itself is humbling and proves as a stamp of approval that the music industry is where I belong.

“Last week I drop the visuals for it. It is about my journey and where I come from and my entrepreneurial spirit which was inspired by my mother who was all about selling products in order to make extra money.”  

Being the last born in her family, Zondo credits her keen eye for fashion to the hand-me-downs she received from her older sisters. Her biggest style icons are Rihanna and Amy Winehouse.

“All three of my sisters are the beginning of my love for fashion because they dress really well, even the clothes they’d give me were so fashionable. Besides, the magazines have played such a pivotal role in how I pair items up and pull off an outfit,” she says.

Zondo admits that being an independent artist comes with a lot of pressure. 

“I plan to not limit myself in terms of what I can do in the industry. I am always on the lookout for what more I can do and how far I can take it."