In less than three months of being formed, new faces in the music scene Ney, Nolo M and Fatso make up the music trio Group Chat that has captured the land of social media with their style, pizzazz and moves.

Born Sinentlanhla Sotshongani, Mmalehlohonolo Mokoena and Fatima Tembe respectively, they are the rising stars who are making their mark in the amapiano, Afropop and kwaito scene.  

The trio, who was handpicked out of thousands of entrants in August to join The African Gong Group, a new Joburg-based independent label, are responsible for the viral dance doing the rounds on TikTok titled Jaiva.

Mokoena, 21, was picked through online auditions. The Rosebank College student who is currently studying towards obtaining her Human Resource Management accreditation in the Eastern Cape, could not attend the physical auditions in Johannesburg due to financial constraints.

“I love singing with every fibre in me, my voice is meant to touch souls and heal people. I am going to use this opportunity as I believe I have been preparing for it. I will continue to focus on my school work during the weekdays while spending my weekends in studio doing rehearsals,” she says.

“Being a part of the group is exciting for me. It’s a dream come true, watching people dance the way they are doing on TikTok to our song is so beautiful to witness… it gets me excited about our future in the music industry.

“The ultimate dream is for us to become international with our sound,” Mokoena adds.   

Ney [Sotshongani] has her eyes set on becoming a marketing guru when she is off the stage. The 22-year-old did not know that submitting her audition tape would land her a spot in the group.

She regards herself as futuristic and has her eyes set on showing SA what she is made of. “I have always been the music guru in my circle and now I get to explore that side of me while doing what I was born to do. I am grateful that I took a leap of faith and now is the beginning of the rest of my life.

"It feels unreal to see the people I’ve always wanted to work with hop on to the dance challenge – that to me means that nothing is impossible in life. I am excited to see where we go as a group and what opportunities lie ahead.”

The third and last fit is Tembe, 20, also known as Fatso, who was the last to be spotted by the label as the last piece of the puzzle. The trained flight attendant describes herself as a passionate dancer who is ready to travel the world through song and dance.

“I began dancing while I was in primary school and this is a calling for me. My mother is my biggest inspiration and support structure. Being part of this group has been one of my dreams and I am grateful that I was given this opportunity.

“I feel very proud of myself for pushing the boundaries and I look forward to making a mark in the industry with my girls next to me, ” Tembe said.