Sho Madjozi

South African styles like gqom and amapiano became global sensations in the late 2010s, and in Sho Madjozi they found an appropriately worldly ambassador. Born Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif in 1992, the Limpopo native travelled the continent as a girl, went to college at Massachusetts’ Mount Holyoke, and then, back in South Africa, kicked off her career as a singer and actor. Her debut album, 2018’s Limpopo Champions League, reflects her fierce dedication to her hometown and her Tsonga culture. Singing and rapping in multiple languages, Madjozi explored a range of Afropop styles on her debut; in 2019, remixes by UK artists like ZED BIAS and Shy One reflected her growing international stature. Poised for the next phase of her breakout, she assessed her options on 2020’s What A Life while honouring her roots. “Before I fully go global, I want to acknowledge where I’m from,” she told Apple Music. “It’s like, ‘Wow, what a life.’ I went from this small village in Limpopo to now being recognised on the BET Awards, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Ellen DeGeneres—I had to give something back.”