Since dropping out of high school to pursue her artistic ambitions, South African gospel star Dr. Winnie Mashaba has travelled a long spiritual path that eventually led to an honorary doctorate in sacred music. Born Selinah Mashaba in Steelport in 1981, she was discovered as a teenager by gospel great Solly Moholo. In 2000, she released her debut, Exodus 20, to great acclaim, but a year later, tragedy struck: her mother died, leaving the 20-year-old to support her seven siblings. Since then, Mashaba has released more than a dozen albums, including 2019's career-defining The Journey With Winnie Mashaba (Live at the Emperor's Palace), which features her soaring voice over Zulu-influenced arrangements. Though raised in the Zion Christian Church, Mashaba considers herself a traditional, versatile gospel artist, affirming her high standards every year through her Winnie Mashaba Annual Moral Regeneration concerns and nurturing the next generation of rising stars on her television show Amahubo (Psalms).