Official 2026 release photograph: Awuyiphumuze — Apple Music
Ntencane, born Senzo Zondi, is a maskandi singer-songwriter from Greytown in KwaZulu-Natal. Beginning his professional career in 2019, he fuses traditional Zulu maskandi, the province's guitar-led storytelling idiom, with contemporary songwriting, writing about love, heartbreak, cultural identity and everyday life.
The arrival is abrupt: 'Wawuthembeni' wins Ukhozi FM's 2019 Song of the Year, drawing almost half a million of the more than one million listener votes cast, in an announcement delayed past New Year's Eve by a court interdict against the SABC and made only once the case was withdrawn. The title carries a R50,000 prize and a reputation as KwaZulu-Natal's most sought-after maskandi newcomer. He consolidates with Alingeni in 2024, a 15-track album that binds acoustic tradition to modern production while keeping community narratives and Zulu heritage at the centre.
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.
Khuzani is billed on the lineup of the Impucuzeko Maskandi Festival at Moses Mabhida Stadium. The Computicket BoxOffice listing runs the festival from 10:00 on Saturday 29 August through to 01:00 on Sunday 30 August 2026, with tickets on sale from R150.
Umafikizolo is on the announced lineup for the Harrismith leg of Maskandi Fest: The Heritage Tour at Intabazwe Stadium, 10:00 to 20:00, tickets from R150.
