Zee Nxumalo spent 2025 proving that her self-proclaimed title “Inja Ye Game” (Zulu for “top dog in the game”) is no exaggeration. By the dawn of 2025, she had firmly established herself as the top vocalist in SA after becoming the most-streamed female vocalist in South Africa for the year thus far, amassing over 100 million streams in the process. The industry took notice as well, she earned two SAMA nominations in 2025, including Best Amapiano Album for her standout project Inja Ye Game and a nod for Female Artist of the Year. Even an earlier hit of hers caught a second wind: Ngisakuthanda went viral all over again, topping the Shazam charts as well as Apple Music.
Zee didn’t just dominate the charts, she owned the stage and became a magnet for major brand campaigns. Brands lined up to work with her: she became a Puma ambassador and partnered with McDonald’s, Heineken, and Nickelodeon (even remixing the official SpongeBob theme song to mark its 20th anniversary).
Live, she made her mark on the country’s biggest stages: from DSTV Delicious, The Pink Table, Rocking the Daisies to the Big Brother finale, Nedbank Cup Final, and Soweto Derby halftime show. And she didn’t stop at the border, Zee wrapped 2024 with a successful UK and Europe tour, marking her territory on an international scale. As far as hit singles go, you won’t find many bigger than her latest single, Mamma, which has been charting since its release a month ago. It’s already looking primed to domiante the charts through Deecember and into the new year. Amidst major hits like Funk 55, Ama Gear, Thula Mabota and Ngisakuthanda, this has been the highest streaming single of Zee’s short career thus far over its first month.
As she struts into 2026 with unapologetic swagger, Zee Nxumalo exudes alpha energy – a dynamic, genre-bending force at the top of her game, ready to lead the pack into a bold new year.
