The role of a DJ is to provide an uninterrupted but lengthy blend of recorded music for an audience. The term ‘Disc Jockey’ was actually invented by American radio commentator Walter Winchell in 1935. Disc referring to disc-shaped shellac and later vinyl records, and Jockey describing an operator of a machine. He used this term to describe radio announcer Martin Block, the first radio announcer to become famous for playing popular recorded music over the air as a form of interlude during his programs.
The evolutionary move away from vinyl records has not altered the use of the acronym to describe performers who are still in demand when it comes to providing musical entertainment for private or social events. Like several other career pursuits, female interest in performing the role of a DJ has heightened over the years. South Africa is one of the countries where many beautiful women have excelled and achieved financial success in the role of a DJ.
Let’s Take A Look At The Most Beautiful DJs In South Africa
As stated earlier, South Africa has set the pace when it comes to producing talented and entertaining female DJs. It’s also an added bonus that they are beautiful too! Some of them are naturally talented, and others have received the training required to even the playing field when it comes to gender equality in the South African showbiz industry. Most earn more than their male counterparts to show it’s not just a fluke and that they’re here to stay.
1. Ntombezinhle Jiyane (DJ Zinhle)
- Net Worth: $3 million
- Age: 40 years old
- Record Label:Â Universal Music, South Africa
- Year Started: 2004
- Relationship Status: Dating
- Notable Works:Â CommonWealth Games After Party in South Africa, Zinhle, Alpha and Omega Drum Arena
Born Ntombezinhle Jiyane on December 30, 1983, in Dannhauser, KwaZulu-Natal, Zinhle has done it all: from music production down to business and television hosting. The 40-year-old Dannhauser native first came into the entertainment scene in 2004 with expectations of being a television presenter. In her early career days, she worked with the SABC 1 on the dance show Jika Majika.
As a television host, Zinhle has headlined the Sisters with Soul concert, the Red Bull Music Experience in Cape Town, and the Zimfest live concert in England in 2019. So far, Zinhle has won major awards, including ‘Best House DJ’ and ‘Best House Female Artist’ at the Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards and ‘Pan African Artist of the Year’ at the Namibian Annual Music Award in 2020.
Last year, the South African television presenter hosted ‘1’s and 2’s’, a talent hunt competition together with fellow South African DJs, Tira and Speedster, and is expected to launch her reality TV show very soon. DJ Zinhle is believed to have accumulated a net worth of $3 million which is the equivalent of R48,085,800.
She was involved with rapper, AKA, but they broke up in September 2020. They had a daughter together named Kairo Forbes. She is currently in a romantic relationship with Murdah Bongz, whose real name is Bongani Mohosana and they have a daughter together named Asante.
2. Lerato Kganyago
- Net Worth: $1.5 million
- Age: 41 years old
- Record Label:Â Black Angel
- Year Started:Â 2015
- Relationship Status: Re-engaged
The lovely Lerato Kganyago is one of South Africa’s media personalities who needs little introduction. Born on July 22, 1982, in Soweto, South Africa, the 41-year-old began her career as a model, winning the ‘Miss Jam Alley’ beauty pageant in 2002 and three years later, in 2005 was also crowned ‘Miss Soweto.’
After working as an air hostess on Qatar airways, she decided to switch careers and joined the Soweto Television Network. She began hosting a talk show called ‘The LKG Show.’ Lerato also hosted the entertainment show on SABC 1 dubbed ‘The Link’, which was a popular lifestyle show.
By 2015, Lerato had begun hosting the radio program on Metro FM called DJ Sbu’. That same year, she hosted the pre-show at the 2015 South African Music Awards. She then hosted ‘Moments’ on Ebony Life TV alongside Pearl Thusi. As the media guru that she is, it is not surprising that she already owns her own event management company called “Black Angel.”
Lerato decided to take up acting and debuted on the comedy series, ‘The Phat Joe Show.’ After that, she was featured in many South African soap series, including ‘Muvhango’ (2015), ‘The Wild,’ and ‘Play: Sex Tips for Girls.’ She married Gauteng businessman Thami Ndlala, but it was a very short marriage as they split just two months after their traditional wedding. She is currently re-engaged with Ndlala after he proposed to her on her birthday in 2021. She is reportedly worth a whopping $1.5 million.
3. Ntokozo Dlamini (Lamiez Holworthy or DJ Lamiez)
- Net Worth: $1 million
- Age: 31 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2010
- Relationship Status: Married
- Notable Works:Â Hosting the music show Live Amp on SABC 1
Ntokozo Dlamini aka DJ Lamiez was born on June 12, 1992. The South African disc jockey began her career as an underground deejay while simultaneously learning and mastering the art of mixing in 2010. DJ Lamiez was featured as a guest presenter on the show ‘KMTV on Soweto TV and later became the host for the South African lifestyle show ‘Living The Dream,’ which used to air on Tshwane TV. After seven years as a TV presenter, she landed her biggest television role on SABC 1’s Live Amp in 2017.
DJ Lamiez is the official full-time DJ for Sun City Resort and has been crowned the official Miss South Africa DJ for two years in a row. In April last year, she was a co-anchor of the Metro FM dance show, ‘Penthouse Session’ alongside DJ Lulo Cafe. That same year in July, she presented the 27th SAMA awards. Her debut single, ‘Sthokoze,’ was released in August 2021 and featured artists, The Lowkeys and Drip Gogo.
Still, in 2021, Lamiez was nominated in the Best Amapiano Female DJ Act category at the South African Amapiano Awards. Her net worth is estimated to be $1 million, and she is currently married to South African rapper Khuli Chana. They publicly got engaged in 2018 and walked down the aisle in November the following year. The union hasn’t produced any children yet, although Khuli Chana has a daughter with his previous partner.
4. Thando Thabethe
- Net Worth: $1 million
- Age: 33 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2008
- Relationship Status: Single
- Notable Works: Club 808, Thando Bares All
South African actress, DJ, and television host, Thando Thabethe was born on June 18, 1990, and has spent her time cementing her place as an entertainment legend. She was the host of ‘Thando Bares All,’ which aired on channel TLC. Thando is the first native African Nivea brand ambassador. In 2019, she made the Forbes Africa ’30 Under 30′ list.
With a career whose beginnings can be traced back to 2008, she first began working at the UJFM radio station before joining the YFM, a popular youth station, in 2011. As an actress, she played Thando Nkosi in the sitcom ‘My Perfect Family,’ which aired for only three seasons. She also appeared in series like ‘Generations: The Legacy’ from 2014 to 2017 and ‘Housekeepers’ from 2018 to 2019. In 2016, she made her movie debut in the feature film called ‘Mrs Right Guy’ alongside Thapelo Mokoena, Lehasa Moloi, and Dineo Moeketsi.
Other movies she has featured in include the 2019 box office hit ‘Love Lives Here.’Â As a television host, Thando Thabethe has hosted the SAMAs and the SAFTAs (2017). In 2019, she won Best Talk Show for her hit talk show, ‘Thando Bares All.’ However, the show is no longer on air as she quit radio and television in 2020. She came back in 2021 and currently hosts the 947 drive show.
Thando has gathered a net worth of about $1 million in her career so far. She was previously in a four-year relationship with Frans Mashao. She took to Instagram to celebrate her fourth anniversary with him. Ironically, they split less than a year after they got engaged. The actress hasn’t been in any publicly recognized relationship since then.
5. Mandisa Radebe (DBN Gogo)
- Net Worth: $3.2 million
- Age: 30 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2019
- Relationship Status: Single
- Notable Works: An ode to Priori and Mayonice
Mandisa Radebe was born on May 30, 1993, in Durban, South Africa. Like most of her colleagues in the showbiz world, she is mostly addressed by her stage name DBN Gogo. A name that was allegedly given to her by her friends while growing up and has since become her professional identity. Gogo comes from a very affluent and notable family in South Africa.
Her father, Jeff Radebe, was the former South African Minister of Energy, while her mother is a notable businesswoman named Bridgette Motsepe. Her father’s sister is also married to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Despite her storied heritage and apparent affluent background, Gogo has largely forged a successful career on her abilities without having to leverage her family’s wealth or social standing. Details of her family background only just recently became public knowledge because of her meteoric rise to the top of the entertainment circle in South Africa.
DBN Gogo has managed to make a name for herself and has been established as one of South Africa’s top DJs. She decided to venture into DJing and has been doing so for a year and a half now. She is known for playing all sorts of house music, including Gqom. Gqom is a genre of EDM (electronic dance music) that became popular in South Africa in the early 2010s. Gogo is also a massive fan of SA Hip Hop. She is very talented and plays the piano, sings, and dances.
Now she specializes in mixing songs like the famous Amapiano Mix and Old School House Music. The net worth of this celebrity DJ is pegged at over $3.2 million. DBN Gogo has not revealed who she is dating to the public. She also hasn’t been romantically linked to anyone as yet. Gogo is a private person away from the spotlight of entertainment and, as such, rarely reveals details of her social life. Her romantic relationships are also on the low. She is currently single.
6. Prudence Sebalo (Miss Pru DJ)
- Net Worth: $800,000
- Age: 39 years old
- Record Label: Ambitiouz Entertainment
- Year Started: 2009
- Relationship Status: Single
- Notable Works:Â Phumelela Miss Pru, Welele, Ugesi, Wena Wedwa
Born on April 16, 1985, and bred in the Vaal triangle in Gauteng Province, South Africa, Prudence Sebalo, aka Miss Pru, has always had an uncanny love for the performing arts. At school, she attended drama and dance classes, which sparked a lot of curiosity in her. Though she didn’t have a spectacular voice like most of her friends, she was a gifted songwriter and was constantly praised for it. However, it was the art of deejaying that finally caught her attention.
She began to learn the skill herself in 2018 and was soon performing at big events like SAMC. She started as a radio presenter at TransAfrica radio station and is currently signed to Ambitiouz Entertainment. In 2015, she dropped her debut single ‘Welele’ soon after finalizing her label contract. In February the following year, Pru released a surprise Hip-Hop single titled ‘Ameni’ featuring all the artists signed to Ambitiouz Records, including Sjava, Emtee Da Hustler, Fifi Cooper, A Reece, Saudi, and Benchmarq.
Prudence was the first female DJ ever to win a SAMA award for ‘Best Music Video’ at the 23rd Annual SAMAs. She has won other awards, including the SAHHA Award for the ‘Best Collaboration Category’ and ‘Best Music Video of the Year’ and a Metro FM Music Award for ‘Best Collaboration.’ Prudence is currently single at the moment but seems to be very open to the idea of a new relationship. Her last major relationship ended years ago, albeit amicably, and she has been single ever since. The talented Miss Pru DJ has an estimated net worth of $800,000.
7. Poppy Ntshongwana
- Net Worth: $2 million
- Age: 40 years old
- Record Label: N/A
- Year Started: 2003
- Relationship Status: Dating
- Notable Works: KFC Taste the Fame (2010), Miller Rock the boat.
Poppy Ntshongwana was born on January 26, 1984, in Eastern Cape, South Africa. She first started her career as a radio presenter on TuksFM in 2003. She then joined 5FM as a co-anchor of the Fresh Drive show before eventually hosting her show in 2007. As a television presenter, Poppy has featured as a guest presenter on the ‘Mzansi Magic Travel Show’ and anchored the MK Awards in 2010.
The gorgeous DJ has tried out modeling and has posed for the Levis and Cosmopolitan Denim Issue, the Heat Magazine Beauty Edition, and is currently the face of Plum’s show. According to online sources, her estimated net worth is believed to be about $2 million, with most of her earnings coming from her work as a radio host. The DJ has been a bit secretive about her love life recently.
What we do know is that there is a man in Poppy’s life. A man serious enough to have met her father, so it may be she is already engaged. She was once involved with DJ Sizwe Dhlomo, who she had worked with at 5fm. The breakup was a messy affair and could explain why she has chosen to keep her existing relationship secret.
8. Nonqaba Nozuko Rwaxa (Ms Cosmo)
- Net Worth: $800,000
- Age: 33 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2012
- Relationship Status: Single
- Notable Works: Baningi, Bhuti
Nonqaba Nozuko Rwaxa, better known by the stage name Ms. Cosmo, is a South African DJ, radio personality, music producer, and singer. After graduating college, Ms. Cosmo worked as a commercial property finance consultant briefly but decided to quit her job to pursue music. After graduating from the famous FUSE Academy, she joined YFM in 2012 as a temporary DJ doing weekly live mixes.
She later became the first and only female DJ to join Channel O’s DJ music show, the ‘Bassment.’ The following year, she joined 5FM as a presenter for the weekly hip hop show ‘The Stir Up.’ In 2017, the emcee dropped her debut single ‘Connect’ featuring rappers Nasty C, Rouge, and Kwesta. The song was a hit and ranked No. 1 on the 5FM & YFM Charts.
Two years ago, she launched her online podcast called “SHE Social Podcast” as a means of promoting women in the arts industry. Later that year, she released another single, ‘Baningi,’ which featured ShoMadjozi, Dee Koala, and Nelisiwe Sibiya. Her latest hit single is the song ‘Bhuti’ which featured Boity and Moonchild Sanelly. Ms. Cosmo has a net worth of about $800,000.
9. Deshnie Govender (DJ Roxxi)
- Net Worth: $700,000
- Age: 39 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2005
- Relationship Status: Single
- Notable Works: Away
DJ Roxxi has achieved so much as a disc jockey, setting many records while providing much-needed inspiration for other women. As the first Indian female club DJ in Africa, Roxxi has worked with various radio stations in Durban and Johannesburg. Born Deshnie Govender on April 5, 1985, in Durban, South Africa, she got her music orientation while she was growing up in her mother’s club.
Roxxi started her career as an electronic house music DJ, and her music style has expanded over the years to include Afro Pop and Hip-Hop. In 2014, Roxxi released her first album titled ‘Musica Na Alma’ featuring Angolan celebrity and former Channel O presenter Weza Solange. Some of the awards she’s received include the Cosmopolitan Awesome Women award and the Standard Bank Youth Achiever. She is also the first African female DJ to win a Global Spin Award given by Bad Boy Records executive Sean Prez in New York.
These days, she has evolved to become an influencer and a digital marketing expert. This was born out of a desire to understand the brands that wanted to work with her as a DJ. She has used her platform to help others influencers understand the industry more. Details of her romantic relationships are vague, but since she hasn’t come out to introduce any guy as her boyfriend, it’s safe to assume that she is single. Her net worth has not been verified, but it’s believed to be about $700,000.
10. Pabi Moloi
- Net Worth: $800,000
- Age: 40 years old
- Record Label: Independent
- Year Started: 2006
- Relationship Status: Separated from Ruan Adams
- Notable Works: Trending SA, Strictly Come Dancing, and Ekse: Let’s Talk With Masechaba Lekalake
Born on January 18, 1984, Moloi is a South African actress, radio DJ, and television presenter best known for hosting the M-Net magazine program All Access from 2009-2012. In 2006, she hosted the second season of the SABC 3 gameshow ‘Out of the Box’ and the SABC1 game show The Amazing Date’ in 2008. She was also a host of the DStv gospel channel One Gospel.
As an actress, Pabi has appeared in ‘Soul City,’ an SABC1 drama series, as Unathi. The 40-year-old DJ is one of the most talented entertainers in the country and has produced hit songs for top radio stations in the country. The award-winning media personality’s hard work in the media has helped her become one of its most popular and in-demand presenters. Moloi’s unique abilities and skillset have earned her several recognitions from the entertainment community, including the Golden Horn Award for Best Talk Show Host in 2018.
Pabi enjoys regular, popular music. However, it will be important to point out that it is all dependent on the activity she’s engaged in at every point in time. She has an estimated net worth of $800,000 earned from her work as an actress, media personality, and DJ, including revenue from her various talk shows.
Although she is particularly a very private individual, fans often get a brief glimpse into the life of their favorite TV personality and radio DJ via her Instagram posts. One of those pictures sees Moloi with a baby bump reflecting her pregnancy period in 2016. This has led to questions about her relationship status.
Moloi is separated from her estranged husband, Ruan Adams, with whom she tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony in 2016. They have a son together but broke up a year later due to unknown marital difficulties, which have resulted in Pabi denying him access to their son since after his birth.
- Ntombezinhle Jiyane (DJ Zinhle)
- Lerato Kganyago
- Ntokozo Dlamini (Lamiez Holworthy or DJ Lamiez)
- Thando Thabethe
- Mandisa Radebe (DBN Gogo)
- Prudence Sebalo (Ms Pru DJ)
- Poppy Nshongwana
- Nonqaba Nozuko Rwaxa (Ms Cosmo)
- Deshnie Govender (DJ Roxxi)
- Pabi Moloi
