South African Female Musicians

Miriam Makeba was a South African singer, actress, songwriter, civil rights activist, and United Nations goodwill ambassador. One of the first African musicians to make an impact on the international stage, Makeba is credited with popularizing Afropop genres. She also advocated against apartheid through music and played a major role in the civil rights movement.

Brenda Fassie was a South African dancer, singer, songwriter, and activist. Renowned for her bold on-stage antics, Fassie earned the nickname Madonna of The Townships. Also dubbed the Queen of African Pop, Brenda Fassie won five South African Music Awards and three Kora Awards during her illustrious career. She was also named in the Top 100 Great South Africans list.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka is a South African singer, actress, songwriter, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and teacher. Nicknamed the Princess of Africa, Chaka Chaka has been one of the most prominent figures in South African popular music for nearly three decades. An internationally recognized personality, Chaka Chaka has performed for US President Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II, and South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Caron Bernstein is a painter, model, singer-songwriter and actress, all rolled into one. Born in South Africa, she started modeling for Ford Models at the age of fourteen, debuting in films at the age of 22 with Waxwork II: Lost in Time and shifting her focus to singing at the age of 23. Now a successful portrait-painter, she likes to capture the darker side of her subjects.

Born to a South African father and a Ghanaian mother, award-winning singer Adina Thembi has made waves in the Afro pop scene. Her music also contains elements of Ghanaian folk music and highlife music, mixed with gospel and African pop. Her track Hear Me won her a Vodafone Ghana Music Award.

Dorothy Masuka was a jazz singer whose music gained popularity in South Africa during the 1950s. Masuka's music had a strong influence on the people of South Africa, so much so that the government banned her song Dr. Malan which was about difficult laws in the country. She was exiled in 1961 when she performed a song for Patrice Lumumba.

Zahara is a South African singer who achieved popularity after releasing her debut album Loliwe in 2011. At the 2012 South African Music Awards, Zahara hogged the limelight by winning eight awards, including Album of the Year and Best Female Artist. She has also won other awards like Africa Entertainment Awards USA, Nigeria Entertainment Award, and African Muzik Magazine Award.