Black Coffee’s biography: age, real name, wife, net worth

Black Coffee’s biography: age, real name, wife, net worth

Black Coffee has received numerous iconic accolades for his unique deep house and classical music remix styles. He also adds some elements of R&B and jazz to his music. The South African DJ never pictured himself among the best African DJs worldwide or being listed in the Guinness Book of Records for his expertise. You can find out more about him below.

Black Coffee's net worth
Black Coffee wearing black T-shirts. Photo: @realblackcoffee (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Black Coffee embraced his talent and aligned it with his goals. He trusted every step, from recording his first album in his bedroom to becoming one of the country's best DJs. Patience and resilience got him to the top positions and enabled him to work with legendary DJs like David Guetta.

Profile summary

Full nameNkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo
Stage nameBlack Coffee
Birthdate11 March 1976
Zodiac signPisces
Age46 years (as of December 2022)
BirthplaceDurban, South Africa
MotherFaith Dandala
NationalitySouth African
EducationTechnikon Natal (dropped out)
CourseJazz Studies
CareerDJ, record producer, and songwriter
Years active1994 - present
Ex-spouseEnhle Mbali Mlotshwa (2011–2019)
ChildrenEsona, Anesu, Lilitha, and Asante
Record labelSoulistic Music
Net worthApprox. $60 million
Facebook @realblackcoffee
Instagram@realblackcoffee
Twitter@realblackcoffee
Apple MusicBlack Coffee
DeezerBlack Coffee
SpotifyBlack Coffee
YouTube@realblackcoffee

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Black Coffee's biography

Black Coffee's real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo. He is a DJ, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on 11 March 1976 in Durban but grew up in the Eastern Cape Town region.

Nkosinathi's mother, Faith Dandala, raised him alone after parting ways with his dad. At the age of eight, they moved to a house in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The residence lacked essentials like running water and toilets.

Part of Black Coffee's daily chores was milking his grandmother's cows. He was part of his cousin's sound system crew for parties. The group stirred his passion for music.

How old is Black Coffee?

Black Coffee's age is 46 years old as of December 2022.

Black Coffee's hand
Black Coffee spinning his deejaying machine and holding headsets. Photo: @realblackcoffee (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Who is Black Coffee's wife?

Black Coffee is currently single. He married TV presenter/actress Mbali Mlotshwa on 13 May 2011. They have two kids, Anesu and Asante, and they divorced in 2019. Black Coffee also has two children, Lilitha and Esona, from a previous relationship.

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Mbali battled breast cancer twice and underwent a double mastectomy in 2013. She allegedly filed for divorce due to her husband's infidelity. DJ Black Coffee went for therapy during the divorce proceedings to overcome the public's harsh criticism for his actions.

How much did Black Coffee pay his ex-wife?

Reports had it that Maphumulo gave Mbali R100 000 monthly besides their child support agreement. The alimony payments included around R17 000 monthly for cosmetic upkeep, a massive amount for her depression clinic medical bill, and R30 000 monthly allowances.

Which of Black Coffee's children is also a musician?

Esona Maphumulo, DJ Black Coffee's eldest son, loves music like his father. He is 21 years old as of December 2022.

Black Coffee's career

Mamphumulo enrolled for Jazz Studies at Technikon Natal. He later dropped out with schoolmates Thandukwazi Sikhona (alias Demor) and Mnqobi Mdabe (alias Shota) to be Madal Kunene's backup singers.

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The trio later formed an Afro-pop group called Simply Hot and Naturally African (SANA). Since Black Coffee was more interested in electronic music production, he left the group to learn music production.

Black Coffee’s biography
Black Coffee’s holding his 2022 Grammy award. Photo: @realblackcoffee (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Nkosinathi participated in 2003’s Red Bull Music Academy. The exposure at the academy helped him release his first hit, Happiness, which was featured on the DJs at Work album.

In 2005, he officially launched his career as a DJ by remixing Stimela (High Masekela's 1972 hit track). Black Coffee’s breakthrough inspired him to establish his record company, Soulistic Music, and release a self-titled debut album.

Black Coffee’s first album featured several top SA artists, including Busi Mhlongo, Hugh Masekela, and Thandiswa Mazwai. He used cheap software to create the album from his bedroom-turned-office.

Black Coffee’s albums

Nkosinathi has produced these albums and DVDs since 2005:

  • 2005: Black Coffee
  • 2007: Have Another One
  • 2009: Home Brewed
  • 2012: Africa Rising DVD
  • 2012: Africa Rising CD
  • 2015: Pieces of Me
  • 2016: The Journey Continues EP
  • 2018: Music is King EP
  • 2021: Subconsciously

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Black Coffee's awards

Black Coffee's 2005 self-titled debut album won the 2006 MTN SAMA awards. In 2010, he got into the Guinness Book of Records for deejaying at an event at Maponya Mall for sixty hours nonstop. The DJ has managed to win these awards and nominations in his entire career life:

YearAwardsCategoryResult
2005SAMABest Dance AlbumWon
2010Health MagazineBest Man
2010SAMABest Male ArtistWon
2010Metro FM AwardsBest Dance AlbumWon
2010Metro FM AwardsBest Produced AlbumWon
2011Channel O AwardMost Talented Male Artist
2012Sunday Times Generation Next AwardCoolest DJ
2013Sunday Times Generation Next AwardCoolest DJ
2013SAMABest Dance AlbumWon
2014Sunday Times Generation Next AwardCoolest DJ
2015DJ AwardsBreakthrough DJWon
2016SAMABest Engineered AlbumWon
2016SAMAAlbum of the YearWon
2016SAMABest Dance AlbumWon
2016DJ AwardsBest Deep House DJWon
2016BET AwardBest International Act: AfricaWon
2016DJ AwardsBest Deep House DJWon
2017DJ AwardsBest Deep House DJWon
2017Dance Music Awards South AfricaBest International DJWon
2017Dance Music Awards South AfricaBest International ProducerWon
2018SAMAAlbum of the YearNominated
2018SAMABest Dance AlbumNominated
2018SAMAMale Artist of the YearWon
2019DJ AwardsBest International DJNominated
2019DJ AwardsBest Deep House DJWon
2022Grammy AwardsBest Dance/Electronic AlbumWon
2022HeadiesBest Southern African Artist Of The YearPending

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Black Coffee's Grammy award in 2022

The 2021 Subconsciously album gave Black Coffee the DJ a Grammy in April 2022. He thanked global star Pharrell Williams, French DJ David Guetta, and other artists who featured on it. Part of Black Coffee's speech at the Grammys was:

The main reason I do what I do is to carry the flag of my country. To be recognized in this way outside of a 'World Music' category makes all of the hard work worth it.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa's congratulations message to Black Coffee was:

Thank you for flying the flag and inspiring a new generation of talent to take over the world.

DJ Black Coffee's songs

These are five of DJ Black Coffee's top songs:

1. Black Coffee ft. Nakhane Toure - We Dance Again

This is one of Black Coffee's best 2016 tracks. The beats can make you shake your head subconsciously or decide to hit the dancefloor to release excess energy from your body. We Dance Again has amassed 2.7 million views as of December 2022.

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2. Black Coffee ft. Mque - Come With Me

https://youtu.be/osQUJTBGCMs

Mque's voice combines with the Afro-pop beats to give the song the right feel. Come With Me evokes strong emotions in the listener. The song has garnered 3.7 million views as of December 2022.

3. Black Coffee & David Guetta ft. Delilah Montagu - Drive

The hype and calming beats in this track make it a masterpiece. Delilah Montagu brings a unique element to Black Coffee and David Guetta’s Drive song. The song has 9.6 million views as of December 2022.

Black Coffee’s son
Black Coffee with his mum and son. Photo: @realblackcoffee (modified by author)
Source: UGC

4. Black Coffee ft. Shekhinah - Your Eyes

5.4 million people have listed to Black Coffee and Shekhinah's Your Eyes song as of December 2022. They did justice to this song by giving it strong and modest beats that match Shekhinah’s musically commanding voice.

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5. Black Coffee ft. Sabrina Claudio - SBCNCSLY

The SBCNCSLY track makes people realize Sabrina Claudio is among the most underrated SA female artists. Black Coffee's beats and her vocals create nothing but magic. The song is about women craving passionate and endless love after healing from toxic relationships. It has 2.8 million views as of this writing.

What is Black Coffee's net worth?

DJ Black Coffee's net worth of $60 million (around 1,063,815,000 in 2022) makes the DJ one of Africa's wealthiest musicians. He is only $20 million behind Senegalese-American singer Akon.

How did Black Coffee lose his arm?

The DJ performs with one hand. In 1990, he was part of the people celebrating Nelson Mandela's release from prison on the streets of Ngangelizwe. A car ploughed into the crowd and left him with a brachial plexus injury. The doctors who initially examined Black Coffee's hand believed it was a minor fracture. Nkosinathi eventually lost his arm because of the condition.

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Facts about Black Coffee the DJ

  • Black Coffee performed at America's prestigious Coachella music festival in Ibiza.
  • The DJ has performed in many luxurious clubs around the world.
  • His son accompanied him to collect his first Grammy.
  • SA's Kwaito music genre pioneer, Mdlongwa, helped Black Coffee create his music label.

Black Coffee has created many songs that match international standards. One of his most outstanding achievements is winning a Grammy. The DJ is grateful to South Africans and people outside SA who support his work.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Priscillah Mueni avatar

Priscillah Mueni (Lifestyle writer) Priscillah Mueni is a lifestyle and entertainment content creator with more than 4 years of experience. She graduated from Meru University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering in 2019. In 2023, Priscillah finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has been writing articles on Briefly.co.za since 2019. Email: pshmueni@gmail.com

Peris Walubengo avatar

Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 5 years of experience writing articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019. The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies & gaming reviews, culture & travel. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.