Nandi Madida
- Birth name: Nandi Mngoma
- Born: 20 March 1988
- Place of birth: Maphumulo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Main activity: Singer, actress, model and television presenter
- Musical genre: Pop, R&B
Nandi Madida is a versatile South African artist who has excelled in various domains of entertainment. She began her career as a dancer and model when she was young, and later became a famous television host and presenter. She also followed her passion for music and released her debut album Nandi in 2012. She has also starred in several films and television shows, including The Road, Coke Studio, BET A-List and Black Is King.
Career
Nandi Madida was born in Maphumulo and grew up in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. She attended Danville Park Girls High School, and after completing her matric she went to study law at UKZN and later to Varsity College, even though her initial plan was to pursue journalism. Her father is a doctor, and her mother is a lawyer.
Madida has been a dancer and model since childhood. She won the Miss Junior RSA title when she was eight. Her success in a talent search led to a position as a performer at the Gateway Mall in Umhlanga. In 2004, at the age of 15, she landed her first television job as host of the SABC2 pre-teen entertainment show called Bling, which mainly focused on music and movies.
In 2011, she released her first single “Tonight”. She later signed with Universal Music Group and released her self-titled debut studio album Nandi in 2012. The album featured songs such as “Mnandi” and “Goodtimes”. In 2013, she co-hosted alongside ProVerb and Dineo Ranaka in the Mzansi Magic Magazine programme All Access Mzansi.
In 2014, Nandi Madida and K.O released the song “Skhanda Love”, it became an instant hit and was eventually nominated for several music awards. From 2015 to 2016, she played Zokuthula “Zoe” Dhlomo in the Mzansi Magic telenovela The Road. She co-hosted the e.tv reality series Coke Studio.
In September 2016, she and Ayanda Thabethe co-hosted the BET entertainment magazine show BET A-List. In 2017, she participated in Lip Sync Battle Africa against Jessica Nkosi. In 2019, she was one of the judges in The Next Brand Ambassador reality show.
In 2020, she appeared as Nala in Beyoncé’s visual album Black Is King, which was inspired by The Lion King. She also released her single “Organic”, which was dedicated to Sara Baartman.
Personal life
Nandi Madida married musician and producer Zakes Bantwini in 2016. They have two children together: a son named Shaka (born in 2016) and a daughter named Queen Nefertiti (born in 2019).
Discography
Solo studio albums:
- Nandi (2012)
Singles:
As lead artist:
- “Mnandi” (2012)
- “Goodtimes” (2012)
- “In My Skin” (2014)
- “Organic” (2020)
As featured artist:
- “Skhanda Love” by K.O. (2014)
- “Say U Will” by K.O. (2019)
