"We Did It": SA Singer MOE Wins Chinese TV Competition After Singing in Mandarin
- Motswedi Modiba, a South African R&B singer known as MOE, competed on a major Chinese television singing competition on CCTV-3
- MOE performed both a Chinese song and a South African native song during the competition, showcasing her rare ability to sing in Mandarin
- South Africans flooded her comments with pride after she shared the celebratory moment on Instagram on 1 October 2026
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Source: Instagram
A South African singer has done it again on the international stage. Motswedi Modiba, known professionally as MOE, won a Chinese television singing competition aired on CCTV-3, with the final score announcement broadcast on 1 October 2026 confirming her as champion.
MOE is no stranger to China. Born in Tshwane, the award-winning R&B vocalist holds a Bachelor of Music from Wits University and a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. She made history in August 2023 as the first Black African contestant to appear on Sing! China, performing entirely in fluent Mandarin and earning millions of views on Chinese social media platform Douyin.
MOE's journey in China
Her latest win comes after an extraordinary run in the Chinese music market. She headlined a sold-out solo concert at Blue Note Beijing and toured 19 cities across China with Mandopop icon Wang Leehom, performing to a combined audience of over 700,000 people. Her Douyin account has surpassed 100 million views and counts over 610,000 followers.
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During the CCTV-3 competition, she performed both a Mandarin song and a South African native song, drawing on her ability to move seamlessly between cultures. In her winning speech on stage, she thanked her fellow contestants and the audience, saying,
"I want to thank my friends. I think today everyone had a very big performance. I hope we are all very happy that we could be on stage today."
In her Instagram caption after the win, she wrote:
"We South Africans believe in Ubuntu — that I am because we are. No one goes far alone, but it is on the shoulders of others that we can rise."
She also paid tribute to her husband, who travelled from New York to China to arrange her music and vocals for the competition, and to mentor @buhlethela for support throughout the journey. As a Brand South Africa ambassador, she said the win felt like an honour to celebrate her country on an international stage.
Watch the winning moment on Instagram here.
Mzansi celebrates MOE's win
South Africans in the comments section on @moeismusic's Instagram post had plenty to say:
@philiswa_jafta wrote:
"We are winning without knowing 😭 congratulations to you, you can come explain later what you won exactly 👏"
@nkonzoyenkosi_thuko_m said:
"We're winning everywhere 🇿🇦😭🙏🏾🇿🇦🇿🇦"
@siyabeez shared:
"Congratulations, girl, you killed it. Shine, bronkhorstspruit shine ❤️❤️"
@_suffo_ added:
"Strengthening our BRICS ties ❤️🔥😭"
@deeafrica_1 wrote:
"Congratulations, girl and thank you for representing the country so well! We are super proud of you!!! ❤️❤️❤️"
@msadladla laughed:
"Whatever we did, congratulations to us for winning 🥇"
@reflex_matlax joined in:
"Always winning… what did we win now??? Anyways, congratulations 🥂🥳❤️"
Source: Instagram
More on South Africans making their mark
- Briefly News recently reported on a South African who won silver at a global skills competition in Shanghai and the special medal he earned as the country's top scorer.
- A cross-border marathon took South African runners out of the country, and the finish line was somewhere they did not expect.
- A Limpopo entertainer has landed an awards nomination months after a scandal, and the category has people talking.
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Source: Briefly News
