For most, a dream is a ceiling. For a rare few, it is merely the foundation.
In the fiercely competitive arena of entertainment, ambition is mandatory, but transforming that ambition into continental or global influence requires a unique blend of vision and relentless execution.
Then you hear the words, ‘dreams come true’.
It’s the kind of quote often found on vision boards, but for Eswatini-born music sensation Zee Nxumalo, those three words are quite simply her biography.
One of the most praised sightings of Zee was on the 263 Culture Fest stage in Harare, Zimbabwe. The crowd, a mix of Shona and Ndebele speakers sang every isiZulu lyric of her chart-topping hit with a religious fervour usually reserved for national anthems.
That moment confirmed what her fans already knew and solidified her status as an international superstar. When caught up with her over a phone interview, her bubbly, animated energy practically burst through the phone.
Surreal is one way to describe Zee’s journey, from a high school rapper in Johannesburg to one of the biggest voices in Amapiano and an ambassador for Puma.
The brand she used to dream about as a teen now proudly has her on speed dial.
“Puma was the brand for me,” she says.
“When they made me a brand ambassador it was like a tick on the box of my dreams.”
Over the years, she refined her sound, noting that her early musical foundations were in Hip Hop.
She joked: “When I first started out as a rapper, I sounded like Nasty C’s little cousin. It was very clear that I was a byproduct of the artists I admired, but over time, I started sounding like me. That was the biggest win.”
Now she has a signature voice that has powered a string of platinum-certified hits like ‘Ngisakuthanda’, a song so catchy it has been reborn via TikTok and now boasts nearly 20 million views on YouTube.
“I didn’t believe it at first,” she confesses. “Had I known it would go that far, I would’ve shot a better music video! But now we’re turning that story into a short film.”
It is fitting that Zee’s fame sprouted on TikTok, where she built a cult following long before she became a fixture on Apple Music and Metro FM charts.
She explained: “TikTok was like my sandbox. I got to experiment, build community, and honestly, it was my shield. When I dropped music, I didn’t have to beg for attention, it was already there.”
That sense of community runs deep. Fans do not just love Zee, they idolise her. Teenagers cry when they meet her and grownups travel miles just for a selfie. “It still surprises me,” she says.
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