10 South African R&B Artists To Check Out

Lordkez

Lordkez makes high art in the form of R&B. The Kimberly-born singer’s music is informed by her upbringing in the church —from her vocal style to the spiritual undertones and references to the bible in her music, Lordkez’s music is beaming with her character. Currently signed to Joburg indie label Stay Low (home to Priddy Ugly, Mars Baby, Shooterkhumz), Lordkez has collaborated with SA R&B queen Shekhinah, popular South African rapper Maglera Doe Boy, Dreamville rapper Bas and label mate Mars Baby. Her latest album, Testament, was accompanied by an art exhibition titled The Last Supper, which was thematically connected to the messaging and imagery on the album.

Phiwo

KwaZulu-Natal-born singer Phiwo is building a name for herself. Her airy falsetto glides over mellow beats as she sings earnestly about love and the experiences that come with romantic relationships. Phiwo has a Bachelor of Arts in Live Performance and it shows in her moving shows around Pretoria, where she’s based, as well neighbouring Joburg. The prolific singer has released two EPs so far and worked with rappers such as Tyson Sybateli and Huey The Magicman, among others, delivering unforgettable hooks.

Mikhalé Jones

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AMA-nominated Joburg singer Mikhale Jones built her name performing covers at various events. The versatile artist sounds convincing in her melodic classic R&B songs as she does in her boastful raps like in her latest single “Be Like Me” which she dropped shortly after winning the first season of the music reality TV show MTN Pulse Virals which pitted eight artists against each other in a series of challenges.

Sishii

Professional actor Ntobeko Sishi launched his music career around 2019. The artist uses R&B to tell his story beyond love songs. His 2023 EP A Night In The Hills told the story of his time at the University of Cape Town where his faith and morals were tested and he found himself in a depressive state. That’s the nature of Sishii’s music. Personal, a tad guy-wrenching and soulful in a raw way.

Nanette

Nanette bust into the scene with her moody debut album, Bad Weather, which was released in 2020. It's an album she's described as cathartic, in which she vented about being overly sexualized, dating the wrong men, and reflected on lonely moments and not being honest with herself. Nanette has grown since then, showing her versatility through working with a range of artists such as amapiano icon Kelvin Momo, hip-hop artists Blxckie, Tyson Sybateli and Kashcpt as well fellow R&B artist Una Rams. There are no limits to what Nanette can do which makes observing her career exciting.

Oxii Moron

Pretoria-born singer and producer Oxii Moron is a loner and it shows in his largely featureless catalog of EPs. Each of his projects is a snapshot of his life at that particular moment — his 2023 project Post-Love Clarity finds him picking up the pieces after a breakup. Sonically, Post-Love Clarity subtly flirts with current sounds like amapiano from which he extracts the smooth percussion that shows up in some parts of the album.

Ben September

Born in the Free State, Ben September started making music in 2020 and posting videos of his work on Instagram. That's how South African House titan Prince Kaybee found him and reached out to feature him on the songs “Breakfast In Soweto” and “3 In The Morning.” Ben September released his debut EP, Loose Ends, in 2023 to solidify his place as a solo artist, after working with the likes of FLVME, Tyson Sybateli, J Clu, LaFreshman and other artists. That same year, the singer won the Jacquel Culture House (JCH) talent search incubator program done in partnership with Tresor and Sun-El Musician.

Hunter Rose

Hunter Rose, one of the most prominent R&B artists in Cape Town, has a national presence across South Africa. As a journalism graduate, writing comes naturally to the artist, and her expressive lyrics are presented in her effortless and laidback vocal style. Hunter Rose’s discography is growing rapidly as she’s been released an EP every year since 2019. Not limiting herself to South Africa, Hunter Rose is currently working with Swiss producer Maloon TheBoom on a project due this year.

Joda Kgosi

Joda Kgosi’s conversational writing style make her easily accessible. Singing as well she raps, the Joburg-born artist is limitless in her expression. Her 2021 EP, Sour Milk, was direct in its messaging as she sang about relationships that went wrong, singing lines like “In a room full of art, I’d still stare at the art/ ’cause I know for a fact the art won’t break my heart." Joda Kgosi’s 2023 single “Diamonds” is an effortless display of dexterity as she raps her verses with convincing swagger while her appearance on the Friends of Amstel Mixtape, Vol. 1 in 2023 is a synergic collaboration with hip-hop star Nasty C.

Filah Lah Lah 

Pretoria singer Filah Lah Lah’s current series, Filah’s Thoughts And Everything Right Or Wrong With Society, is a display of her creativity, self awareness and observant character. In the series, she shares a random thought about life and then proceeds to sing a song about that topic. The Pretoria-born singer and songwriter was born to music as her father was an avid collector of music who exposed his kids to black music at an early age. It’s no surprise her music has vintage jazz, soul and funk influences as heard on her projects, 2020’s Filahsofy and 2021’s We’re Gonna Be Just Fine.