Veteran South African DJ and hip-hop pioneer Deon “DJ Ready D” Daniels is taking on a new challenge, stepping from the music and broadcasting world into politics as the People’s Movement for Change’s (PMC) mayoral candidate for Cape Town in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The announcement marks a major new chapter for the 57-year-old Cape Town cultural icon, whose career has stretched across more than four decades.
Ready D was officially unveiled by the PMC in Ottery, with the party positioning his deep roots in the Cape Flats, experience in the creative industries and longstanding connection with young people as important assets ahead of the elections.
From District Six to the mayoral race
Born in District Six on 11 December 1968, Ready D grew up in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, after his family was affected by the forced removals that reshaped communities across Cape Town.
His introduction to hip-hop came at a young age after hearing “Rapper’s Delight”, an experience that would ultimately change the course of his life.
From the Cape Flats, he went on to become one of South Africa’s most recognisable DJs and turntablists, helping establish a local hip-hop culture that would eventually reach international audiences.
Now, instead of performing behind turntables, he wants to use that experience in the political arena.
“I am not going to be a politician that makes promises that I can’t keep. I am going to work with what I know,” Ready D said, according to reporting on his political entry.
Why Ready D says he entered politics
Ready D formally joined the PMC in August, describing his decision as one he had considered carefully.
“After careful consideration, I am willing to embrace this new direction and join the movement. I do so with humility, a willingness to learn and a genuine desire to serve,” he said.
He also pointed to the party’s focus on small and micro businesses, community development and investment in people as reasons for joining.
“I am particularly encouraged by the party’s commitment to empowering small and micro businesses, strengthening local communities, and investing in people,” he said.
His political message is closely connected to issues that have featured throughout his career – youth development, opportunities for creatives, community upliftment and giving people from disadvantaged communities a platform.
Ready D has argued that his experience outside traditional politics can be useful in addressing problems facing communities, particularly young people and aspiring entrepreneurs.
The PMC’s pitch
PMC president Marius Fransman welcomed Ready D as more than a celebrity addition to the party, arguing that his decades of community and creative-industry experience could contribute to its political programme.
The party says it wants culture, sport, entertainment and the broader creative industries to play a bigger role in creating opportunities for young people.
“The PMC believes that our young people must not merely be treated as an election demographic; they must be given a meaningful role in shaping the society in which they live,” Fransman said.
Fransman described Ready D as someone who understands the Cape Flats and the realities facing young people because he has lived through many of those experiences himself.
“DJ Ready D brings a wealth of experience, credibility, and insight into the lives of our communities,” the PMC said in its statement announcing his membership.
Ready D, in turn, said he believed the partnership could contribute towards creating safer and more prosperous communities.
“Together, I believe we can help build stronger, safer and more prosperous communities for all,” he said.
A relatively young party with big ambitions
The PMC was founded in November 2023 by Marius Fransman, a former ANC Western Cape leader and former Deputy Minister of International Relations. The party presents itself as a grassroots movement built around the principles of family, community and opportunity.
One of its most prominent political figures is former Cape Town mayor Dan Plato, who joined the movement in February 2024 after leaving the Democratic Alliance.
Plato had served as Cape Town mayor twice and later became the PMC’s national treasurer. His move gave the relatively new party an experienced figure with first-hand knowledge of running the city.
The party has also sought to establish itself as an alternative to the traditional political establishment in the Western Cape, particularly among communities on the Cape Flats.
In 2024, the PMC claimed that about 1,000 DA members had joined the movement, although that figure comes from the party itself.
Its stated approach is to build its support from communities upwards, with the party describing its organisation as being built around grassroots mobilisation.
Four decades of Ready D
Long before politics, Ready D had already built a remarkable legacy in South African music.
He became internationally known as a member of Prophets of da City, one of the pioneering hip-hop groups to emerge from Cape Town. The group helped take South African hip-hop beyond the country’s borders, with Ready D touring extensively in Europe and performing alongside international acts including Public Enemy, The Fugees, Ice-T, James Brown and the Black Eyed Peas.
He is also a four-time South African DMC champion and has been recognised as a Grandmaster for his contribution to turntablism and hip-hop culture.
His career has extended beyond DJing. He has worked as a producer, television presenter, radio personality and creative director, while also becoming involved in youth and community development.
South African History Online records that he established Full Contact Records in 2005 and later worked on television projects including Mzanzi Rides and Decktales with Ready D. He also hosted his own radio show on Good Hope FM.
More recently, he continued to work across music, broadcasting and popular culture, including involvement in the Showmax series Spinners, while joining Kfm 94.5’s airwaves in 2025.
His contribution has also been recognised with major honours, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the South African Hip Hop Awards and an Icon Award at the 2025 Urban Music Awards.
From cultural icon to political candidate
Ready D’s move into politics is significant because his influence was built outside the political system.
For generations of Cape Town hip-hop fans, particularly on the Cape Flats, he represents a period when young people used music, DJing and street culture to create opportunities in communities affected by poverty, displacement and limited economic prospects.
He has previously described hip-hop as more than entertainment, saying it became a way for young people growing up on the Cape Flats to survive and find their place in society.
That history is now becoming part of his political identity.
The PMC is hoping to translate that cultural credibility into political support as Cape Town heads towards the 2026 Local Government Elections. The election is expected to see Ready D compete against established political figures, including incumbent DA mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and other opposition candidates.
For Ready D, the move represents perhaps the biggest reinvention of his career yet – from the man behind the decks and radio microphone to a candidate asking Cape Town residents to put him in charge of the city he has spent his entire life helping shape culturally.
