Nomsa Mazwai Opens Criminal Case Against Black Coffee Over R2m Royalty Dispute
- South African singer-songwriter Nomsa Mazwai, known as Nomisupasta, opened a criminal case against Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee at Sandton police station
- Mazwai claims she is owed approximately R2 million in unpaid royalties for her contribution to the 2012 hit Traveller, a dispute she says has dragged on for nearly 15 years
- Black Coffee's legal team strongly rejected the allegations, calling the fraud claim baseless and arguing the R2 million figure is unsupported
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Facebook
South African singer-songwriter Nomsa Mazwai has taken her long-running royalty battle with Grammy-winning DJ Black Coffee to the next level, opening a criminal case against the celebrated producer at Sandton police station on 17 August 2026.
Mazwai, who performs under the name Nomisupasta, says she is owed roughly R2 million in royalties for her featured role on the 2012 track Traveller, which also featured Black Motion. She says she has been attempting to resolve the matter for close to 15 years without success.
How the dispute unfolded
According to Mazwai, she was young when Black Coffee first approached her to be part of Traveller, and she went as far as arranging the studio for the recording session. She maintains that a deed of assignment confirms her ownership of the song's lyrics, and insists she never agreed to hand over her master rights or accept a once-off session fee in place of royalties. She also disputes being directed to SAMPRA, arguing that the payments she is claiming differ from standard performance-rights royalties.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
The financial strain has become deeply personal. Mazwai says she is fighting to keep her home as a direct consequence of the unresolved dispute.
Documents seen by the Sunday Times reportedly show that only R7,000 in featured-artist royalty distributions was paid out to Mazwai and Black Motion combined between January 2013 and December 2024. Mazwai insists this does not represent the full amount she is owed, and she has calculated her R2 million estimate using publicly available earnings data from comparable Black Coffee songs released during the same period.
Black Coffee's legal team responds
The case initially hit a roadblock when police withdrew the docket, having determined the matter appeared to be civil in nature. However, it was later reopened after Mazwai consulted with a prosecutor. Investigators have since been directed to obtain a warning statement from Black Coffee, Nkosinathi Maphumulo, before forwarding the docket to a senior public prosecutor for a final decision.
Black Coffee's lawyer, David Feinberg, has firmly denied the allegations, labelling the fraud claim as baseless. His legal team argues that Maphumulo personally did not sell or exploit the recording, and that any recording revenue was handled through Soulistic Music, the independent label he founded in 2005. They further contend that the R2 million estimate is without merit and that the accusations directed at Black Coffee personally are defamatory and malicious.
No finding of criminal wrongdoing has been made, and the matter remains under active investigation.
Mzansi has weighed in on the saga
@danieta_m:
"A criminal case for a civil matter, how does that work? Why doesn't she sue him?"
@KhumaloFk:
"She was supposed to call Coffee and ask for help not this clownish behaviour now Coffee will drag he case for the next 50yrs just to spite her. What a fool!"
@ThaaBLaa:
"Blackcoffee is evil but because these poor people will always stand with him because he is their fantasy."
Brown Mogotsi considering suing the state
Brown Mogotsi's lawyers have spoken out following his arrest on 15 May 2026 after he testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The North West businessman's lawyers believe that the matter could have been handled better, arguing that there was no need to arrest their client.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
