MaWhoo In 2025: Amapiano’s Emotive Voice, From “Kulula” to “Bengicela”

South African singer–songwriter MaWhoo (born Thandeka Nontobeko Ngema in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal) has grown from a promising collaborator into one of Amapiano’s most distinctive voices. Her catalog sits at the crossroads of tender, hymn-like toplines and club-ready log-drum architecture, a blend that took shape on early singles and crystallized around the 2022–2023 run of “Kulula” and “Ngilimele.” In 2025 she’s broadened that arc with new collaborations, videos, and high-rotation singles like “Uzizwa Kanjan” and “Bengicela,” while feature slots—most recently “Ma Africa” with Deep Sen and M.J—keep her present in DJ sets and editorial playlists alike.

Who is MaWhoo?

MaWhoo’s roots are in KwaZulu-Natal, and her pathway into Amapiano passed through a broad palette—Afro-house, house, and collaborative vocal work—before landing on the piano-led, shaker-and-log-drum pocket that defines today’s sound. Public biographies and profiles trace her break to the late 2010s with “Umshado” and subsequent features; by the early 2020s, she’d become a sought-after voice for producer-DJ combinations from Pretoria to Johannesburg. The “MaWhoo” signature isn’t just timbre—it’s phrasing. She stretches syllables so they sit atop the groove without crowding the bass, leaving space for DJs to tease drops on big rigs or glide through private-school piano transitions.

The breakthrough era: “Kulula” and “Ngilimele”

Two records still anchor conversation around MaWhoo’s rise. “Kulula,” cut with DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, threads a warm vocal against unhurried log-drum phrases; it arrived with an official video and audio releases that helped DJs outside South Africa load the tune quickly into their sets. “Ngilimele,” with Deep Sen, KingTalkzin and Mthunzi, leaned even more into vocal intimacy—piano chords and pads leaving acres of negative space around the topline—and the official video extended its life across YouTube and social platforms. Together, those singles positioned MaWhoo as both a collaborator capable of riding the Scorpion Kings’ stadium-scale grooves and an emotive lead who could carry slower, swelling arrangements that resonated on radio and wedding playlists.

2025 releases and momentum

In 2025 MaWhoo’s name keeps surfacing on new frontline tracks. “Uzizwa Kanjan,” a collaboration led by Jazzworx with MaWhoo and Thukuthela featuring GL_Ceejay, rolled out in late April with an Apple Music video and multiple official uploads, giving the song both editorial visibility and shareable visuals. In mid-June she returned with “Bengicela,” alongside GL_Ceejay, Thukuthela and producer Jazzworx—Music In Africa’s report frames it as a spiritual, dance-floor prayer—and her team followed with official lyric assets on YouTube to kickstart user-generated content. Most recently, “Ma Africa” (Deep Sen, MaWhoo & M.J featuring Ntando Yamahlubi) landed on Apple Music and Spotify on 8 August 2025, extending her feature streak into the heart of the Southern African club season. These drops matter because they keep MaWhoo in rotation across both Amapiano and Afro-house playlists, with fresh IDs for DJs and new entry points for casual listeners.

Catalog quick map (2019–2025)

• What A Time To Be Alive (EP/mini-album, 2 Dec 2022): early cornerstone release with tracks that laid the emotive-piano blueprint.
• Kulula with DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small (2022): festival-friendly bass phrasing with a torch-song lead.
• Ngilimele with Deep Sen, KingTalkzin & Mthunzi (2023): tender, private-school energy; long-tail streaming through 2024.
• Uzizwa Kanjan with Jazzworx & Thukuthela feat. GL_Ceejay (Apr 2025): official audio and Apple Music video.
• Bengicela with GL_Ceejay & Thukuthela feat. Jazzworx (Jun 2025): new single cycle with lyric video support.
• Ma Africa with Deep Sen & M.J feat. Ntando Yamahlubi (Aug 2025): current single in Amapiano lanes.

Why the voice lands: production and performance notes

MaWhoo’s writing often frames love, longing, or prayer in simple phrases that can be looped without fatigue. Producers then arrange around that minimalism: glassy keys and soft pads to establish mood, tick-tock shakers to tease motion, and a log drum that enters late, letting the vocal claim space before the floor explodes. On “Kulula,” the bass arrives like a tide rather than a drop; on “Ngilimele,” the choir-like harmony rides above a restrained rhythm bed; on “Uzizwa Kanjan” and “Bengicela,” the call-and-response with the bass is even more explicit, mirroring Amapiano’s 2025 shift toward 3-step/bacardi-adjacent phrasing in breakdowns. The result is a catalog that works both in headphones and under festival PAs: tender enough for wedding first-dances, tough enough for 2 a.m. club peaks.

Audience growth and platform signals

Streaming dashboards show a consistent climb across 2024–2025 as collaborative singles stack up and new videos land. Spotify’s artist page highlights multiple 2025 entries—“Uzizwa Kanjan,” “Bengicela,” and “MA AFRICA”—while third-party analytics reflect surges in followers and total plays through mid-2025. In practice, that means more editorial surfaces, more algorithmic adds, and a broader audience footprint beyond South Africa, from Lagos to London. The new-release rhythm, paired with official YouTube uploads, keeps her in DJ discovery loops and on social feeds where dance challenges and lyric snippets travel quickly.

Essential videos to watch right now

• Kulula — Official video with DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small.
• Ngilimele — Official video with Deep Sen, KingTalkzin & Mthunzi.
• Uzizwa Kanjan — Official uploads and Apple Music video, Jazzworx & Thukuthela feat. GL_Ceejay.
• Bengicela — Official lyric video as the 2025 single cycle rolls out.

For crate diggers: where to find the music

• Apple Music — Artist page with current singles and video entries for 2025 releases.
• Spotify — Artist page; check “Popular releases” for 2025 titles and collaborative credits.
• YouTube — Official channel plus label/partner uploads; most singles arrive with official audio, lyric, or video assets.

What comes next

MaWhoo’s 2025 playbook—vocal-forward collaborations, quick video turnarounds, and spiritually tinged writing—positions her to own the softer, melodic lane of Amapiano while touring alongside hard-hitting DJ sets that can flip into bacardi intensity when needed. With “Bengicela” and “Ma Africa” still fresh, expect more cross-territory features and festival booking chatter through the Southern Hemisphere spring. If you want one line that explains the appeal, it’s this: MaWhoo makes Amapiano feel intimate without losing the room.

Start here: three-track primer

1. Kulula (with DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small) — the widescreen, festival-friendly entry point.
2. Ngilimele (with Deep Sen, KingTalkzin & Mthunzi) — the private-school slow-burner.
3. Uzizwa Kanjan (with Jazzworx & Thukuthela feat. GL_Ceejay) — the 2025 pulse.