Gospel singer, actor and writer Nontokozo Mkhize is emerging as one of the country’s most spiritually grounded voices, blending faith-driven music with mainstream appeal.
From years spent behind the scenes to headline collaborations, the KwaZulu-Natal-born vocalist says her journey has been guided by purpose rather than pressure.
Now firmly in the spotlight, the 27-year-old told Sowetan that her quiet groundwork shaped the career she has today alongside her younger sister, singer Naledi Aphiwe.
Who were you before the fame?
I was a girl who loved to sing, particularly gospel songs, and most of what I used to do was backing vocals for a lot of musicians. Although I used to be behind the scenes, I always knew that the main stage is where I belonged…it was just a matter of time for it to happen, and it did in 2023.
How do you feel about your career so far?
Truly blessed. I used to tell my friends last year that I had an easy transition into the music industry. Usually, when people tell me about their journeys in the industry, most of them talk about the hardships of making it, and I’m so grateful that was not the case for me.
In 2017, I got to work with many artists as a backing vocalist. This is where I managed to build solid relationships with them, which made it easier for me when I went solo. Whenever I’d call in for favours of features, they already knew who I am and the type of singer I am. They were familiar with my style of singing already.
Many of the artists that I’ve worked with are like family to me. For example, I regard Sjava as my big brother, Nomfundo Moh as my sister as well as Lady Amar, and Pastor Benjamin Dube as one of my mentors.
How’s your relationship with fame?
To be honest, I only felt fame last year after I released Esandleni, but it started bubbling under in 2023 when my song Lu Strong with Nomfundo Moh took off. Being well-known comes with a price, and I know it.
I’ve always made it clear that I’m all about the art more than anything. It’s quite unfortunate that the art that we do results in fame, but I’m grateful that people know my work and it’s impactful to those who truly appreciate it. Having people call your name proves that your art is also noticed.
You and Naledi Aphiwe are siblings. How does it feel to have a sister in the same industry as you?
Truly amazing. I always say, she and I have the same voice… there’s no way people can miss that. It’s interesting how things happened for us after we lost our mother in 2022.
We went through a rough patch, but a few months after her death, things started to look up for both of us.
I sing gospel, she does Afro Pop and R&B. She started being big in 2023, and so did I. I always say that God has a way of keeping His promises and has been good to us despite the loss we suffered.
What was it like growing up with Naledi?
Fortunately, we grew up in the same house. We share the same mother, but we have different fathers. I’ve always been a big sister to her, who’d always guide her on what to do and not to do.
She’s 19, and I’m 27. That eight-year gap allowed me to help her avoid certain mistakes, but I’ve since realised that she’s older now and there’s no need to keep guiding her. I can see she’s on the right path.
She was always bubbly and loved to sing. We’d always take videos of ourselves singing and dreaming about being big stars one day and seeing that that’s come to fruition makes me very happy.
Why gospel and spiritually uplifting music?
It’s very fulfilling to the soul. As much as I love gospel music, I’ve always been intentional not to box myself, hence I’ve also tapped into amapiano and other genres.
Although I make it a fact that my lyrical content is gospel, I know that spreading the word doesn’t mean you have to sing only gospel. You can touch people’s hearts in many ways and through different sounds.
What are your hopes and dreams for your career?
To change the techniques of how gospel music is received by the masses. To not make it all about church or biblical, but to see a way of addressing certain issues affecting many people in the world.
For people to not only see coming to church as the only way to get closer to God, and to help hopeless people find a purpose in life. Hopefully, that will build a lasting and memorable career for me.
