96 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM
PhotobyDarrenStewart/Gallo Images via Getty ImagesA
S THEWOMANRESPONSIBLEFORSOUTH
Africa’schart-toppingMyNameIssongmakesher
wayontothestage,thereis rapturousapplausefrom
thepower-packedaudience,gatheredattheDurban
InternationalConventionCentreforthe 2020 FORBESWOMAN
AFRICALeadingWomenSummit.
ZinhleJiyane,popularlyknownasDJZinhle,walksuptothesolo
stagewithherfour-year-olddaughter,KairoForbes(pictured), who
shecallsoneofher“biggestachievements”.
AndSouthAfrica’saward-winningDJpresentsaninspirational
speechduringthesummit’sSpotlightsession.
“You’relazy.You’reextremelylazy,”citesZinhleasthewordsthat
shapedherintobecomingthewomansheis today.
Asa child,Zinhle,whohailsfromSouthAfrica’sKwaZulu-Natal
province,washeartbrokeneachtimeshewascalledthat.
“IknewI wasa creativeatheart.Mylackofinterestinlimited
careeroptionsandthemundanerobotictaskofdryingthedishes
didn’treallyappealtome.That’sthethingthatgotmethetitlevila
voco(meaninganextremelylazyperson).”
Despitethat,Zinhlewentontopursuea BCominmarketingat
theUniversityofJohannesburg.Graduatingatthetopofherclass
gaveherthefirstdoseofconfidence.
“Itwaspossible.Althoughvilavocomighthavebeenringingin
myhead,atleastI knewit waspossibletoputinthehardworkand
getgoodresults.ThatgavemealltheconfidenceI neededtotake
overtheworld.Andthat’sexactlywhatI did.”
Hernewfoundself-assurancepropelledhertodomore.
“In2009,I launchedFuseAcademy,thefirstandonlyDJfemale
academyinSouthAfrica.Tenyearslater,theacademyhasproduced
workingDJsintheindustrythathavecontributedlargelytothe
overallentertainmentindustry.”Afteryearsofresilienceinthemusic
industry,shefinallyscoredherbigbreak.“Ihada songcalledMy
NameIsfeaturingBusiswawhichbecameoneofthebiggestsongsin
2012,notonlyinSouthAfrica,butinmostpartsofAfrica.Thissong
was special to me because for the first time, I knew what real successwas.It wasanexcitingtimeformeasa woman.”
MusichasalwaysbeentheDJ’sfirstlove,sowhileonehandwason
thedecks,shetriedtheotheratentrepreneurship.
“In2013,I launchedmyjewelrybusiness,EraByDJZinhle.Seven
yearslater,myprideandjoyis thefirstblackfemale-ownedbusiness to
distributethroughAmericanSwiss.”
Thehitmakerhasbeenvocalabouttheimportanceoffemale
empowerment.Herinvolvementina projectseekingtodojustthis
inspiredhertoputpentopaper.
“In2017,I joineda veryimportantprojectcalledIt TakesA Village
onSABC1focusingon 11 youngwomenwhoneededtodealwiththe
demonsoftheirpast.Myrolewastohelpthemthroughthisprocess,
andfinda betterfutureforthemselves.Spendingtimewiththese
incredibleladiesinspiredmetowritea book.”
AlongwithNokubongaMbanga,Zinhlepublishedthebook,
MeetingYourPower.
HernewhitUmlilofeaturingMvzzle& Rethabileis herlatest
achievement.Thesong,whichmeans‘fire’,wasoneofthebiggesthits
tocomeoutofSouthAfricain2019.“I’mveryproudofit.Umlilowas
outforthreemonthsandhadalreadyreachedplatinum.It hadoverfive
millionstreamsintwomonths.Overandabovethat,it wascrowned
thecrossoversongbyMetroFMandmanyotherradiostations.The
lasttimeMetroFMhada female-ledsongasthecrossoversongofthe
yearwasin 1997 whenBrendaFassietookit withVulindlela.”
WhenaskedaboutthefutureofmusicinAfrica,shetellsFORBES
AFRICA:“ItraveloverseasandrealizepeoplewantAfricancontent,
Africanart,AfricanfashionandAfricanmusic.Soif you’reAfrican
anddoingsomethingtrulyauthenticandtrulyyou,youaredefinitely
somethingtheworldwants.Wejusthavetohavefaithinwhatwedo
andcontinuecreatingsoundsthatspeaktous.That’swhattheworld
wants.Theydon’twantustosoundlikethem.Andthat’swhatis special
aboutus.”Andwhatis thelegacyshewantstoleaveasanentertainer
andbusinesswoman?“Forme,thelegacyis femaleempowerment,
pavingthewayforotherwomen,especiallyDJs.I want to be known as
someone who made it look possible for women.”THE ‘LAZY KID’ WHO ACHIEVED
PLATINUM SUCCESS
EntrepreneurandDJZinhleJiyane
shonein thespotlightatthe
2020 FORBESWOMANAFRICA
LeadingWomenSummit,talking
aboutherjourneyfromrock-
bottomtorecord-breaking.
BY BUSI LETHOLEFORBESAFRICA
PARTING SHOT