Singer-songwriter Mawelele has reunited with hip-hop heavyweight Kwesta for a new R&B and Afro-pop single, Ngiyaz’fela, released on Friday, 4 September through gamma.
The romantic track, produced by Kinglee Beats, sees the two artists build on the success of their previous collaboration, All My Life, which became a major milestone in Mawelele’s career.
A song about love
Ngiyaz’fela, which translates to “I’m in love with you”, is centred on the simple act of openly expressing romantic feelings.
Mawelele’s emotive vocals and melodic songwriting are paired with Kwesta’s distinctive lyrical delivery, creating a track that blends the warmth of Afro-pop with the intimacy of R&B.
For Mawelele, the collaboration comes after a six-month hiatus from releasing music as he focused on a feature run.
“After a 6 month hiatus, being on a feature run, linking up with the big bro Kwesta again to give the people another banger is something that I am excited about,” he said.
“With this song, I want to remind people to still believe in love, to know that being expressive doesn’t make you ‘uncool’.”
Following the success of All My Life
The reunion comes after their previous collaboration, All My Life, made a significant impact.
The song has accumulated more than 19.7 million streams on Spotify and over 23 million views on YouTube. It also earned Mawelele a Metro FM Award for Best R&B Song, helping cement his position as one of the emerging voices in South Africa’s contemporary R&B and Afro-pop space.
The new release therefore arrives with expectations attached, as Mawelele looks to build on the momentum created by their first collaboration.
The next chapter
Ngiyaz’fela is also the lead single from Mawelele’s upcoming album, which is expected later this year.
The project will mark the next phase of a career that has already delivered more than 100 million cumulative streams across digital platforms.
Mawelele currently has more than 710,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 770,000 followers on TikTok, while his catalogue includes collaborations with Naledi Aphiwe on songs such as Romeo & Juliet, Naledi, Buya Ekhaya and Come Duze.
He also released the album Time and the ANSWERS EP in 2025.
From lockdown covers to the spotlight
Born Ntokozo Wandile Mawelele in 2002, Mawelele is a Johannesburg-born singer-songwriter and pianist who was raised in the Vaal.
His relationship with music began early. He started playing piano at 11 under the guidance of his father and was singing in church and local groups by the age of 12.
After briefly studying performing arts, he decided to pursue music full-time.
His lockdown cover videos helped introduce him to a wider audience and eventually led to his signing with Umuthi Records, the label associated with Blaq Diamond.
His sound draws heavily from Afro-pop and R&B, while his songwriting explores love, heartbreak, truth and faith.
His Christian beliefs have also continued to influence his creative outlook.
A growing list of accolades
Mawelele’s rise has been accompanied by industry recognition.
He has won Best Newcomer at the Urban Music Awards, as well as Metro FM Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Afropop Song.
With Ngiyaz’fela now opening the campaign for his forthcoming album, the collaboration with Kwesta signals a return to the music spotlight with a message that Mawelele hopes listeners will embrace – that expressing love should never be considered uncool.
