Nomfundo Moh is living that soft life that she sang about; not only sharing the global stage with Lebanese-British musician Mika and receiving plaques as a pinnacle of her success, but also finding economic freedom.

At the weekend, the 23-year-old was handed gold and platinum plaques for songs from her commercially successful  debut album Amagama.  

Her smash hit Phakade Lami has gone 6 x platinum, while Soft Life has been certified 3 x platinum. In addition, Ngam’khetha and Lilizela have both gone gold.

“To say I am excited is an understatement because this recognition is more like a dream coming true,” she said. 

“I’m very grateful for the international reception my music has been receiving. The past two to three years have been more of a rollercoaster ride that I never thought I’d be on. However, it has all been worth it. 

“With my music career so far, I am able to afford things that I want. I have my own car. I can provide for my family... I also got to buy my mother a house, which brings me joy. I am glad that I can see the rewards of my hard work.”

Real name Nomfundo Ngcobo, she sees her album as a “masterpiece” that will “mature like fine wine” and evoke nostalgia in the ear of the listener in many years to come. 

“When I wrote Amagama, I had my family, friends, supporters and God in mind. I was merely saying to them that I have no words to describe how thankful I am for their support with the songs on the album,” she said.  

“I wanted to thank those who had been with me even before I was famous... I wanted to thank them for sticking with me from the beginning until now.”  

The KwaZulu-Natal-born singer/songwriter three weeks ago performed at one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, where she joined Mika for a special rendition of Feels Like Fire.  

“I plan to work with more international artists... working and performing with Mika was surreal. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening – that moment meant a lot to me because we got an astounding standing ovation after our performance,” she said.

As her star continues to shine, she now plans to continue growing her international footprint. Having worked with local acts Shekhinah, Sjava and Kwesta, she is now eying a collaboration with her childhood hero and American superstar Alicia Keys.  

“I love her (Keys) songwriting and her vocal range and control. She even sparked a desire inside of me to learn how to play the piano and I know one day I will. All I hope for is to work and perform with her one day,” she said.

The singer, who began her career at 16 in 2016, is dropping her second studio album, Ngcobo, this Friday.  

“I am thoroughly happy with how my music career is panning out. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears from myself and the team and I’m glad to see that the hard work is finally paying off,” she said.

“I have also learnt to be business-minded when it comes to the music industry. I’ve learnt the importance of paperwork and I am grateful that I’ll be learning more about this industry.”