DJ Maphorisa
- Birth name: Themba Sonnyboy Sekowe
- Born: 15 November 1987
- Place of birth: Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Main activity: DJ, record producer, singer, songwriter
- Musical genre: Afropop, Amapiano, house, hip hop
Career
DJ Maphorisa began his career as part of the group Uhuru, which he formed with DJ Clap, Xeli and Mapiano. He made several hit songs for Uhuru, such as Khona and Y-Tjukutja. He also collaborated with other artists such as Mafikizolo, Dr Malinga and Oskido. He then quit Uhuru and became a solo artist and producer. He has worked with local and international artists such as Wizkid, Drake, Kwesta, Black Coffee, Major Lazer, Runtown and TRESOR. He also started the record label BlaqBoy Music. He is known for his versatility and ability to mix different genres of music, such as Afropop, Amapiano and South African house music. He is praised for making the Amapiano sound popular in South Africa and beyond. Some of his popular songs include Soweto Baby, Particula, Midnight Starring and Banyana.
Children
Some sources say that DJ Maphorisa has a daughter called Lesedi. He is very private about his daughter and her mother, but he sometimes posts pictures of him and Lesedi on his social media accounts. He does not want his daughter to be exposed to the public too much.
Family
DJ Maphorisa was born in Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa. He has a mixed ethnicity, as his father was from Nigeria and his mother was from South Africa. His mother was a gospel singer who influenced his musical career.
Dating History
DJ Maphorisa has been very secretive about his dating history and not much is revealed about his previous relationships. However, some sources indicate that he had a connection with Thuli Phongolo, a South African actress and DJ. The two sparked dating rumours after a video of them holding hands became viral online. DJ Maphorisa said they were only talking as friends and they both dismissed the rumours. He reportedly also had a short relationship with a woman named Beverly Sibanda in 2019. She claimed that he got her pregnant and left her. DJ Maphorisa rejected the claims and said he never dated her. DJ Maphorisa is speculated to be dating Cyan Boujee, a famous South African social media influencer. The two have been seen together on several occasions and have shared pictures of each other on their Instagram accounts.
Awards
DJ Maphorisa has won several awards for his work in the music industry. Some of them are:
- Best Collaboration at the MTV Africa Music Awards in 2016 for Soweto Baby (feat. Wizkid and DJ Buckz)
- Best Collaboration at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) in 2017 for Ngud’ (by Kwesta feat. Cassper Nyovest)
- African DJ of the Year at the Soundcity MVP Awards in 2022
