2026 video still: TMAN XPRESS x MELLOW & SLEAZY - REMEMBER ( Official Music Video ) — TmanXpress Thee Vocalist / YouTube
Mellow & Sleazy are Phemelo Sefanyetse and Olebogeng Kwanaite, a Pretoria duo formed in 2020 and central to amapiano's harder, drum-first wing. Their sound leans on bacardi, the raw percussive style associated with Pretoria, stripping amapiano back to log drums, chants and relentless forward motion. Few acts in the genre release faster: six studio albums appeared between 2021 and 2024, among them the Midnight In Sunnyside series and 2022's Barcadi Fest.
The breakout was 'Bopha' (2021), with DJ Maphorisa and Young Stunna, which reached number 1 in South Africa and is certified platinum; 'Wenza Kanjani' is platinum as well, with 'Kwelinye' and '10111' certified gold. 'Imnandi lento' earned Metro FM Music Awards nominations for Best Collaboration and Best Amapiano, alongside a Best Duo/Group nod at the same ceremony. The third Midnight In Sunnyside instalment landed in April 2024, and the collaborative output has continued at pace since.
One day after Cleo Sol released Gentlewoman, three of its songs were already inside Apple Music South Africa’s Top 10. The speed of that response says something interesting about this country’s appetite for music that does not need to shout to command attention.
SAMA32’s shortlist shows a South African music industry no longer defined by one centre. From Durban Gqom to Maskandi, Amapiano, Jazz, Gospel and regional scenes, the country’s sound is spreading power across many hubs.
Mellow & Sleazy headline the 1,600-capacity E1 in Wapping with CowBoii supporting, doors 22:00. Tickets are on sale via DICE from £11.33.
Mellow & Sleazy support TXC at Forum in Digbeth, doors 16:00, with CowBoii also on the bill. The show has been on sale three months and is now listed as sold out (tickets were from £18.36 on DICE).
