Zee Nxumalo has just hit a major milestone. Her collab with Pabi Cooper and 031Choppa, “Thula Mabota,” has gone platinum in South Africa (that means she sold over 40,000 copies). This is a huge win for the 21-year-old Afropop and Amapiano star, marking her first platinum certification as a lead artist.
Zee has been making waves since she burst onto the scene last year with her infectious rhythms and soulful melodies. She broke out in 2023 with her hit single “Pholile,” featuring Azana and Mlindo The Vocalist. Since, she’s received major recognition for her work on other artists’ songs like “Nguwe” and “Funk 55.” But now, with “Thula Mabota,” she’s proving she can shine on her own.
“This means a lot to me,” Zee says. “A lot of my early success has been on other people’s music, so I’m really happy to prove to people, and most importantly to myself, that I can also be the lead artist on a big song. I want to shout out Pabi Cooper, Choppa, and Shakes & Les for working with me on this song and sharing this moment with me.”
The music video for “Thula Mabota” dropped just three weeks ago and has already racked up nearly 800K views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Zee’s recent collab with Dlala Thukzin, “Ama Gear,” is starting to take off globally.
Her manager, Shingai Darangwa, adds, “This is the first release from Zee’s upcoming album, and we believe it’s setting the tone for one of the best albums to come out of SA in a long time. She’s dynamic, fun, and incredibly talented. We’re confident she’s going to grow into a global star in the coming months. Beyond the music, there’s a lot of exciting work happening behind the scenes that we’re looking forward to sharing with her fans soon.”
With a new project in the works, Zee is set to become SA’s next global star. 10and5 recommends you keep your eyes on her.
