Shimza (ZA)

About

South African DJ and producer Shimza, born Kholofelo Ashley Raphala, built his reputation through the afro house and afro tech scenes out of Tembisa, Gauteng. He signed to Soulistic Music, the label run by Black Coffee, and dropped his debut album Shimuzic in 2015, kicking off a run of releases that includes One Man Show, Eminence, and Kimberly. His sound blends deep basslines with traditional African percussion and rhythms, landing squarely in the afro house world that has grown into one of South Africa's most vital electronic music exports. His 2020 collaboration Uwrongo with Black Motion, Prince Kaybee, and Ami Faku went straight to number one on the Radiomonitor Charts and earned a Gold certification from the Recording Industry of South Africa. More recently he has been reaching beyond South African borders, linking up with international artists like Aloe Blacc and CamelPhat. His extended play Dreaming arrived in 2024, with Sunset in Pretoria following it up.