
More and more South African stars shine overseas in music and filmElaine, Nasty C, Black Coffee and Sho Madjozi are just a few of the musicians flying the Mzansi flag high on the international stage.
by Nokwanda Ncwane
28-05-2023 18:47
in Entertainment
South Africa is one of the leading countries in Africa to produce actors and actresses who become stars who shine in Hollywood. Lately Mzansi is also slowly but surely also adding musicians to the list of international stars who are making it in the United States.
--
Here are a few more of Mzansi's artists who have bagged international deals.
1. Elaine https://www.instagram.com/p/CD4DB1GJHDO/
Ndivhuwo Mukheli, popularly known as Elaine, is a South African R&B singer and songwriter from Pretoria.
Elaine, 21, released her EP titled Elements and recently signed to Columbia Records, home to artists such as Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Beyonc and Adele.
--
Her song You're The One has more than 2.5 million views on YouTube.
Her EP reached top spot on both the national iTunes and Apple Music album chart, making her the first independent female artist to do so.
2. Nasty C https://www.instagram.com/p/CEOHzB6p_vg/
The award-winning rapper - real name Nsikayesizwe Ngcobo - started as an independent artist and later signed to Mabala Noise.
--
In March, Nasty C signed an exclusive deal with legendary hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings through a joint venture with Universal Music Africa.
Nasty C has also won almost every hip-hop award in South Africa, as well as a few continental awards.
3. DJ Black Coffee https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFIMwMDgqt/
Nkosinathi Maphumulo, whom we know as Black Coffee, is an international house DJ who was born in Durban. The 44-year-old artist is now based in New York City.
He has collaborated with artists, such as David Guetta and Usher. He has scooped several awards, including the Breakthrough DJ of the Year award at the DJ Awards in Ibiza and BET Award for Best International Act.
4. Sho Madjozi https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEMBTYgiSZ/
This 31-year-old Tsonga rapper and song writer originally wore the name Maya Wegerif. She also signed with Epic Records earlier in 2020, and became the first South African to do so.
Sho Madjozi is not new on the international stage: In 2019 she bagged her first BET Award for Best International Act. She also was Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award Favourite African Star.
Other South African stars in the US
Nomzamo Mbatha: The Durban-born 32-year-old actress lives in California. Mbatha also signed a management deal with Creative Artists Agency and starred in Coming 2 America alongside major-league Hollywood stars Wesley Snipes and Eddie Murphy.
Trevor Noah: The Daily Show presenter moved to the US in 2015 and is ranked as one of the best comedians in the world. In 2019, Forbes magazine ranked Noah as the fourth highest paid comedian.
Charlize Theron: The Benoni-born star was the first South African to win an Oscar, which she won for Monster in 2003. Theron has starred in many famous Hollywood movies and scooped many awards.
Lesley-Ann Brandt is another, read about how she made it here:
Lucifer' actress Lesley-Ann Brandt talks about Hollywood life
Then there are these famous faces:
See how many of these Hollywood stars are actually from South Africa
Whether it's in music, film or television South Africa sure does have talent and is not afraid to export and expose its national treasures to the world stage.
SOCCER QUIZ | FIVE simple answers could win you R500 in cash! ENTER HERE
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
The production team of the long-running German investigative series Achtung Abzocke recently upgraded its cameras for the show's 12th season. The objectiv...
12/02/2026
Leading provider of video streaming solutions, Bitmovin, has appointed Ian Baglow as Co-CEO alongside existing CEO and Co-Founder Stefan Lederer. Under this str...
12/02/2026
Vizrt, a leading viewer engagement platform and a trusted expert in live production technologies, today announces the launch of four Campus Stadium Production B...
12/02/2026
Strategic agreement to deliver S3 cloud storage in Switzerland with full data sovereignty and local control including at the level of individual cantons plu...
12/02/2026
Mad About Video is a leading specialist in video for live events and installations throughout Malta. In operation since 2011, it has evolved from a company focu...
12/02/2026
JAGGAER, a global leader in digital procurement and supplier collaboration solutions, today announced the successful delivery of a procurement digitalization pr...
12/02/2026
At NAB Show, LiveU will showcase its broadest IP-video EcoSystem to date, designed to help broadcasters and content creators embrace digital first operations, d...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/02/2026
The GeForce NOW sixth-anniversary festivities roll on this February, continuing a monthlong celebration of NVIDIA's cloud gaming service.
This week brings ...
12/02/2026
TIME100 Health list features Scripps Research Professor Darrell Irvine Irvine is recognized for his work in empowering the immune system to fight disease, which...
11/02/2026
FYI: Phone Support Maintenance One thing we pride ourselves on here at Utah Scientific is our 24-hour support included with our signature 10-year hardware warra...
11/02/2026
Leading provider of video streaming solutions, Bitmovin, has appointed Ian Baglow as Co-CEO alongside existing CEO and Co-Founder Stefan Lederer. Under this str...
11/02/2026
Paramount and the CBS Television Network will partner to air UFC 326: HOLLOWAY vs. OLIVEIRA 2 live on Saturday, March 7, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, mar...
11/02/2026
Beginning February 10, fans can buy MLB.TV on ESPN, a new milestone in one of sports media's longest-standing partnerships. ESPN becomes the new streaming h...
11/02/2026
Fubo Sports Network is available to Hulu's Live TV subscribers in the core $89.99 a month subscription plan, which also includes full access to the entire H...
11/02/2026
Following a competitive public tender process, Rai (Radiotelevisione Italiana), the national public broadcasting company of Italy, has awarded Imagine Communica...
11/02/2026
Major League Baseball is making in-market streaming subscriptions for 20 Clubs available today for fans. Subscriptions for the following Clubs are available vi...
11/02/2026
Building on successful demonstrations during the Paris Olympics 2024, Italian public service broadcaster Rai and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are condu...
11/02/2026
Following Sunday's Super Bowl LX, ESPN and Disney unveiled We're Going,...
11/02/2026
Delayed streams are a growing source of frustration for sports fans. During the 2026 Super Bowl, some streams lagged up to 62 seconds behind the action on the f...
11/02/2026
NASCAR and FloSports announces an expanded slate of racing events that will bring FloRacing coverage live throughout the 2026 season to the NASCAR Channel, furt...
11/02/2026
Manifold technologies GmbH announces the appointment of Nick Tucker as Sales Manager for Europe, reinforcing the company's continued growth across broadcast...
11/02/2026
Genies, the AI avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity, entered into a landmark collaboration with MLB Players, Inc., th...
11/02/2026
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Google have joined forces for an AI-...
11/02/2026
Dolby's CEO Kevin Yeaman and Giles Baker, SVP of Dolby Cloud Solutions, shared how the brand's latest innovations - Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby...
11/02/2026
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment has entered a first of its kind partnership with Major League Baseball, which will provide broadcast support to both the Detroit T...
11/02/2026
For major U.S. events like Super Bowl 2026, FIFA World Cup, America 250, and the...
11/02/2026
Broadcasts of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings will also be produced by the leagu...
11/02/2026
Video moves fast can your DAM keep up?
Join Blue Lucy in LA for the West Coast's leading Digital Asset Management event as we explore, celebrate, and acc...
11/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 10, 2026 - An estimated 124.9 million viewers watched Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, according to Nielsen's Big Data Panel measu...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
11/02/2026
Clear-Com provided an advanced, IP-based communications infrastructure for TEDNext 2025, supporting production, media, and editorial teams with a highly flexib...
11/02/2026
Astera introduces QuikBeam, the newest addition to its acclaimed Quik family of focusing LED Fresnels. This ultra-compact spotlight combines the equivalent powe...
11/02/2026
Following a competitive public tender process, Rai (Radiotelevisione Italiana), the national public broadcasting company of Italy, has awarded Imagine Communica...
11/02/2026
With Convertible Mount for NL Bowens & Aputure A Mounts See it at BSC Expo Stand #133 LCA
DoPchoice continues to refine light shaping tools for professional LE...
11/02/2026
World Premiere at BSC Expo, Booth #319 Oberkochen/Germany, 10 February 2026
ZEISS introduces the new Aatma, set of nine high-end full frame T1.5 cinema primes ...
11/02/2026
As Re-recording Mixer and Head of Sound at The Farm, one of UK's leading post-production facilities, Nick Fry has built his career on making stories sound a...
11/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...