DJ Zinhle’s “Baba Yilwa” Is Becoming a Bigger Hit Three Months After Release
DJ Zinhle’s “Baba Yilwa” is proving that a South African hit does not always have to peak on release week. Some records become bigger by slowly entering daily life.
DJ Zinhle, born Ntombezinhle Jiyane in Dannhauser, KwaZulu-Natal, in 1982, is a house DJ, producer and entrepreneur who has spent two decades as the most visible woman in South African dance music. Drawn to the decks after watching her brother mix vinyl, she turned professional around 2004 as resident DJ on the youth dance show Jika Majika.
'Umlilo' (2019) drew 5.1 million streams inside three months and is certified triple platinum; 'Thula', her 2023 single with Cici, topped the Metro FM Top 30. Recognition has followed the music — the Forbes Woman Africa Entertainer Award and Pan African Artist of the Year in 2020, the Basadi in Music Trailblazer Award in 2024 — as has business: she runs Era by DJ Zinhle, Boulevard Rose and Jiyane Atelier, and fronted the BET Africa reality series DJ Zinhle: The Unexpected from 2021.
DJ Zinhle’s “Baba Yilwa” is proving that a South African hit does not always have to peak on release week. Some records become bigger by slowly entering daily life.
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Oskido’s recent honours do not read like retirement language. They recognise a South African music builder whose influence already carries historical weight while his work remains active.
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