Rasta the Artist Showcases Perfect Khuzani Mpungose Painting, Mzansi Suspects AI

• Rasta the Artist shared a photo of himself with a new painting of Maskandi star Khuzani Mpungose on social media
• The portrait looked far more polished than Rasta's usual work, raising eyebrows across the internet
• Fans were unconvinced the painting was done by hand, with many suspecting the artist used AI to achieve the unusually accurate likeness

Rasta the Artist is back in the headlines, but this time it's not for the reasons fans have come to expect. The self-styled portrait painter, known for his wildly distorted likenesses of South African celebrities, has left Mzansi genuinely puzzled after posting a painting of Maskandi star Khuzani Mpungose that looks almost nothing like his signature style.

Rasta shared the image on his X page on 8 September 2026, posing in a plaid suit and holding the framed artwork outdoors with a mountainous backdrop visible behind him. The portrait shows Khuzani dressed in traditional Zulu-inspired attire, complete with a leopard-print-style cape and headpiece. The resemblance to the Ijele hitmaker was striking enough to make followers do a double take.

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"Thank you for the music, @khuzani_khuba. Guess what, they say we are related through our gap teeth," Rasta wrote in his caption.

The Khuzani painting comes during a productive stretch for the artist. Earlier in September, Rasta debuted a portrait of Mthandeni SK, which followed the familiar pattern his fans love to roast, with his trademark exaggerated style drawing laughs across social media.

Mzansi is not buying it

The painting's polished finish immediately set off alarm bells for social media users, who were quick to question whether Rasta had any help achieving it. Rather than the usual laughter that greets his celebrity portraits, this one attracted a wave of scepticism.

B_Thebe was suspicious:

"Must be AI."

tibodw_edm agreed:

"Rasta is now using AI assistance."

WothiJiba saw the humour in it:

"Rasta wouldn't be popular if he drew everyone like this."

Mthimcool_ remained unconvinced:

"Who painted this, Rasta? I know you."

Whether or not artificial intelligence played a role in the Khuzani piece, the painting has done exactly what Rasta's work always does: get people talking.

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See Rasta's portrait of Khuzani below.

Rasta the Artist pays tribute to Dolly Parton

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Rasta the Artist's portrait of late country singer Dolly Parton.

While many people mocked his tribute painting, others claimed the controversial artist's skills had improved.

Source: Briefly News