Sphamandla Ndlozi (25), a Policing student, is also a promising Maskandi artist.
Growing up in the Madadeni township in Newcastle, Kwazulu-Natal, Sphamandla, who is also known as Ndlozi in the music industry, has always had a dream to become one of the best musicians in the country. He drew inspiration from popular Maskandi artists, such as Mgqumeni, Shwi noMtekhala, and Amageza Amahle.
Maskandi is a kind of Zulu folk music that is evolving with South African society.
In 2011, Sphamandla made his mark in the music industry as a performer when he performed with a group called AmaVip, led by Senzo Gabela and Simanga Ndebele, both Maskandi artists and song producers. He performed with the group from 2011 to 2015, and in 2017 decided to go solo. He immediately released a song that introduced him to his fans. The song gained over 46 thousand views on YouTube.
Since 2018, Sphamandla has released songs with established artists, such as Igchokama Elihle and Shwi Nomtekhala. After realising his potential, he saw that he needed a formal career outside of music and therefore decided to enrol at the Tshwane University of Technology where he is currently studying towards a Diploma in Policing.
He has worked very hard and has managed to release more than two albums, as well as a single while being a student.
2019 was a hit year for Sphamandla. He made history by becoming the first Maskandi artist to perform at the International Youth Fellowship, a concert that aims to grow music artists and offers them a platform for recognition by record labels.
Early 2020, Sphamandla joined forces with Ingoje Insurance (an insurance broker based in Newcastle) as their brand ambassador. He was also interviewed on SABC 1’s Daily Theta show. Also, he recently released another album that is currently making waves, both on social media and on TUT campuses.
Sphamandla has big plans to grow his music career and has also decided to groom young, up-and-coming Maskandi artists based in Pretoria. He produces songs under the Ithembisa recording label for newcomers to the industry and offers further assistance where possible.