Zakes Bantwini Marks 20 Years Since Signing L'vovo Derrango to Mayonie Productions
- Zakes Bantwini recently took to social media to honour a major milestone in his music career
- The acclaimed producer revealed he signed Durban-born Thokozani Ndlovu, known as L'vovo Derrango, two decades ago
- Fans flooded the post with memories of L'vovo's music, reigniting love for classic Durban kwaito
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Getty Images
Music producer Zakes Bantwini has paid tribute to a turning point in his career, marking 20 years since he signed Thokozani Ndlovu, better known as L'vovo Derrango, to his label Mayonie Productions.
Derrango previously made headlines when he defended Bantwini on social media in a viral post.
Bantwini recently sent social media into a frenzy when he shared an inspiring story about his music producer.
The heartfelt post, shared on Instagram on 28 October 2026, sent fans on a full-on nostalgia trip.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
"Today, 20 years ago, I released my very first artist to Mayonie Productions @wearemayonie, a young man from Durban called Thokozani Ndlovu. The world came to know him as L’vovo Derrango. He gave me a lot of my firsts: first release, first music video, first number one. Everything I’ve built started with this album and faith in 2006. Bayang’suka, Resista still moves dance floors two decades later. That’s not luck, that’s legacy. Dankie South Ahhh 🙏🏾 Ekse @lvovosa, we need to celebrate this moment," he said.
Peeps celebrate L'vovo and Zakes
@dineo__nadia dropped a lyric straight away:
"When L'Vovo said 'ne TKzee isikhathele uMasimbela' 😂😂😂🔥❤️"
@kwaito_legends kept it simple but firm:
"One Of The Best Durban Kwaito Albums Of All Time"
@penelopegubeni could not contain herself over one track in particular:
"Don't get me started on 'Ungubani' still a banger till this day 😭😭😭😭😭 that intro nje!🔥"
@samba_nelly shared a funny admission about the stage name:
"I remember liking the name L'VOVO DERRANGO at the time 😂 I thought he was like a South African Italian or something"
@majele96_ came through with a badge of honour:
"Proud to say I had a CD🥹🥂 I loveeed Durban Kwaito Music weehh hamba mnyaka!!!!!"
Source: Instagram
Zakes Bantwini calls on DJs to drop AI vocals and give real artists a chance
In more entertainment news, Briefly News previously reported that Zakes Bantwini took to X on Sunday, 4 October 2026, urging producers to stop relying on AI-generated vocals in their music.
The entertainer's post comes amid growing outrage after a database revealed that South African artists' music was used to train AI models without consent.
Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa top the list of affected SA artists, and Mzansi is divided over whether AI vocals are a problem or the future.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
