Mapaputsi

Mapaputsi
Mapaputsi
Birth name	Sandile Ebby Ngwenya
Born	12 February 1976; Zola, South Africa
Died	5 September 2024 (aged 48); Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Genres	Kwaito
Occupations	Singer; Songwriter;
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1997–2024
Labels	Ghetto Ruff; CCP Records; Izinja Productions

Sandile Ebby Ngwenya (known professionally as Mapaputsi; 12 February 1976 - 5 September 2024) was a South African kwaito artist. He gained national prominence with his hit single 2001 debut Izinja, which earned him Best Kwaito Artist and Best Kwaito Song at the 2002 Metro FM Awards, along with Best Music Video at the 2003 South African Music Awards. Izinja sold 150 000 copies Triple Platinum and he continued success on the radio charts with numerous hit singles such as My Love, Kleva, Manga Manga Business, Woza Friday and Grova Mo.^[3]^[4]

Life and career

Early life and career beginnings

Mapaputsi was born Sandile Ebby Ngwenya on February 12, 1976. In an interview on the Podcast and Chill with MacG in April 2022, Mapaputsi revealed that he was born at the headquarters of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) in Moria, Limpopo after his paralyzed mother visited there for spiritual help while pregnant.^[5] and he was raised in the township of Zola, Soweto.

Ngwenya began to pursue a career in music by started off in gospel music with backup-singing gigs for artists like Rebecca Malope Vuyo Mokoena & Pure Magic before shifting to kwaito in the late 1990s. He credited Vuyo Mokoena and the late DJ Khabzela as the people who believed in him after familiarizing himself with the inner workings of gospel music, he started working on craving path in Kwaito working with the likes TKZee & Chiskop as He was nicknamed 'Mapaputsi' by an Italian shoe salesman in Zola and was encouraged by Tokollo 'Magesh' Tshabalala to use the nickname as his stage name.^[6]

1997–2002: Velu`Vaye and Izinja

South African Sports, Arts and Culture Minister, Gayton McKenzie lauded Mapaputsi and said he “put kwaito on the map” through his fusion of pantsula, pop and hip-hop elements.^[7]^[8] His sudden passing from a short illness on 5 September 2024 at age 48 prompted an outpouring of grief from fellow musicians, cultural leaders, and media, who remembered him as a pioneering creative force and a voice for post-apartheid township youth.^[9]^[10]

Discography

Studio albums

Velu`Vaye (1997)
Izinja (2002)^[11]
Kleva (2003)
Last Man Standing' (2004)
Groova Mo' (2005)
Still Barking' (2009)

References

^ Kwaiti legend Mapaputsi laid to rest, eNCA, retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Mapaputsi finally laid to rest after a week of drama, City Press, 25 August 2024
^ His music lives on: Remembering Kwaito legend Mapaputsi's iconic hits and unmatched township swag, News24, 10 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Deputy Minister, Honourable Peace Mabe: Remarks at Memorial Service of Sandile “Mapaputsi” Ngwenya, South African Government, 12 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Seleme, Rae (22 April 2022). "'I was born in Moria': Mapaputsi leaves tweeps & MacG in stitches". The South African. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
^ Obituary: Backup singer to triple platinum icon: Legendary Kwaito artist Mapaputsi defied the odds, News24, 10 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Minister Gayton McKenzie mourns passing of music innovator, Sandile ‘Mapaputsi’ Ngwenya, South African Government, 7 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Mapaputsi’s Legacy in Kwaito Celebrated by Minister McKenzie and MEC Chiloane, Central News South Africa, 8 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ SA music industry pays tribute to kwaito legend Mapaputsi, The Star, 8 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Condolences for Mapaputsi, SAnews, 8 September 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025
^ Mapaputsi in his own words: The Kwaito artist between the highs and lows, The Citizen, retrieved 27 August 2025