DJ Zinhle
- Birth name: Ntombezinhle Jiyane
- Born: December 30 1983
- Place of birth: Dannhauser, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Main activity: DJ, producer, media personality, businesswoman
- Musical genre: House, dance/electronic
Career
DJ Zinhle was inspired by her brother to become a DJ in 2004. Her debut as a DJ was on Jika Majika, a dance show for young people on SABC 1. She also worked with Boom Shaka on the album I Put It In, which included other well-known artists such as Dr Malinga, Khanyi Mbau, Mphoza, and others.
Her 2019 hit single “Umlilo” was very popular, with 5.1 million streams in three months, 3× platinum certification by RISA, and Song of The Year award. In 2021, she was a judge on 1’s and 2’s, a talent show competition on SABC1, with DJ Tira and DJ Speedsta. She also has her own reality show on BET Africa, Unexpected.
Children
DJ Zinhle has two children:
- Kairo Forbes (born July 8, 2015), daughter of rapper AKA
- Asante Bongani (born September 23, 2021), son of musician Murdah Bongz
Family
DJ Zinhle is the daughter of Jabu Jiyane and Rachel Jiyane. She has three siblings:
- Zak Jiyane (brother)
- Gugu Jiyane (sister)
- Zenzele Jiyane (brother)
Awards
DJ Zinhle has won several awards throughout her career, such as:
- In 2015, she won the Glamour Women of the Year Award for Woman of The Year in Music.
- In 2020, she won the Namibian Annual Music Award for Pan African Artist of the Year for Umlilo.
- She was also nominated for the South African Music Awards for Record of The Year and Song of The Year, and for the MTV Africa Music Awards for Best Female.
She was also nominated for several other awards, such as:
- In 2012, she was nominated for the Channel O Music Video Award for Most Gifted Female Video for My Name Is.
- In 2016, she was nominated for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite South African Radio DJ.
- In 2019, she was nominated for the All Africa Music Award for Best African DJ for Umlilo.
Dating timeline
DJ Zinhle has been romantically linked to several celebrities, such as:
- AKA (2014-2015, 2018-2020): The rapper and the DJ dated on and off for several years and had a daughter together, Kairo Forbes. They broke up in 2015 after AKA cheated on Zinhle with Bonang Matheba, but reconciled in 2018. They split again in 2020 after AKA allegedly cheated on Zinhle again with Nelli Tembe, who later died in a tragic incident.
- Brendon Naidoo (2016-2017): The businessman and the DJ dated for a year before breaking up amid allegations of fraud and scamming by Naidoo.
- Murdah Bongz (2020-present): The musician and the DJ started dating in 2020 and welcomed their daughter, Asante Bongani, in 2021. They are still together as of 2023.
Discography
DJ Zinhle has released several singles and albums, such as:
- My Name Is (feat. Busiswa) (2012)
- Pepe Roots (feat. Noa) (2013)
- Against The Grain (feat. Bonj) (2019)
- Umlilo (feat. Mvzzle & Rethabile) (2019)
- Go! (feat. Dr Duda & Lucille Slade) (2020)
- Indlovu (feat. Loyiso) (2020)
- Uzobuya (feat. Miss Melody & Presh Beat Master) (2021)
- Feminine Touch (2014)
- Let’s Dance (2021)
