Decoding The Madjozi Magic

It’s just gone 6 pm on a Wednesday evening as I approach a low-lit hair salon in Johannesburg’s artsy hub, Melville.

- Noxolo Mafu

The echo of gqom beats, cash registers ringing and hair-dryers humming indicate that I am in the right place. There are a few customers left, most of whom are waiting for the last coat of nail polish to dry, while others wait to steam their fresh braids. I spot a fluffy pink jersey and ahead of 4A hair, not the colorful cornrows that Sho is so well known for. I look again quizzically, make eye contact, and barefaced Sho pipes up. ‘You must be looking for me,’ she says, as a warm smile engulfs her slightly panicked face and she offers me a seat next to her. Swagged out in a white T-shirt adorned with yellow illustrations of herself, it soon becomes clear that she and her PA have had a manic day. ‘Sorry, things are a little crazy at the moment. I am a little stressed,’ she says. She lays her hands on the table and without hesitation, the nail technician begins her manicure.

It’s three days before the 25th annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs) and Sho is nominated in four categories (she won Newcomer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year). Between rehearsals, recording and back-to-back appearances, her schedule is on turbocharging and she’s positively buzzing.

‘I didn’t expect to be nominated for one SAMA – and I was nominated for four!’ she says. ‘I’ve also been nominated for a BET award for the Best New International Act [which she won at the BET Awards in Los Angeles in June]. I didn’t even think I’d be known outside of Limpopo.’ In just three years Sho’s unique gqom-hop sound has dominated the top music charts in Mzansi and other parts of the continent. Since 2017, she has earned unprecedented success as a female rapper. Her plan was simple: ghostwriting for artists. ‘I was broke, and I realized I could write poetry and pretty much anything. I thought I could write raps as well. You know when you’re desperate?’ she says.