Few South African artists are becoming as well known overseas as Tembisa-born, Mzansi-based DJ, producer, and label owner Shimza. If you ask the man himself, he owes his meteoric rise to an optimistic mindset.




When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, artists in countries all across the globe had good reason to feel uncertain about their livelihoods. Shimza opted to focus on the good. In a 2020 conversation with Red Bull Music Academy, he declared, “You need to be positive about everything that you do.”




“When everyone was impacted by the pandemic I asked myself, what can I do to keep my head afloat,” Shimza said. “I decided to put together a couple of friends of mine and do something that ended up being one of the bigger things that we’ve done.”




“I could have the One Man Show June Edition in Soweto, so I thought about the people that need the music to get them through the pandemic and that’s how I came up with the iconic places that I did,” he continued. “And because people couldn’t attend the event, I partnered with TV stations for us to get it to the supporters.”




According to GQ, Shima’s lockdown parties were broadcast on Channel 0, Africa’s continent-wide television network. This played an undeniable role in keeping him relevant as nightlife remained paused during the pandemic. It’s possible, even, that his perseverance in the face of the global crisis garnered him more fame than he would have achieved under ordinary circumstances.




Some of Shimza’s earliest memories include his brother listening to house music on the radio when they grew up. The late DJ Khomza inspired him to start collecting records and taught him how to DJ before he passed away in 2018. Music became a full-time pursuit for Shimza when he started finding success as a promoter and lending out his sound system for other organizers’ events.




Shimza now has ambitions to expand the influence of South African music across the globe. “We can influence how South Africa is perceived and also have the platforms to export the music to the world,” he told Red Bull Music Academy. “I think there is so much potential and young producers and DJs that need platforms like these to introduce them to the world. It’s something I want to be a part of.”



Shimza: “You Need to be Positive About Everything that You Do”

South Africa’s award winning DJ Shimza, had the honor of becoming the first ever artist to play a live stream music set from the prison Robben Island where political activists and former presidents Nelson Mandela, Kgalema Motlanthe, and Jacob Zuma served time behind bars. Located in Table Bay off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, the historic prison now serves as a tourist museum and a UNESCO World Heritage site.




Shimza, known for his polished productions and contagious Afro tech sound, has established himself as a key player in the international dance music scene. He has been holding his One Man Show events for over ten years as a committed philanthropist, raising money for South African issues that are dear to his heart and disadvantaged children. The most recent development of this was the legendary broadcast performance on Robben Island.




Shimza and the Siya Kolisi Foundation partnered to raise funds for those negatively affected by Covid-19 as well as Robben Island. Shimza played his set at the Island from 4-6pm on Saturday July, 18th. It was broadcast live on MTV Base South Africa.




On why he has decided to stage such an iconic event at Robben Island, a historical site, and his contribution to Mandela Day, Shimza said, “It’s up to all of us in South Africa to shape how our history is being told.” He added that “We need to tell our story using our gifts. Those that we can freely demonstrate and live off now, because of the struggles of people like the great Nelson Mandela.”






Mandela served 17 years of his sentence on Robben Island. After his release in 1990, he went on to be elected President of South Africa and proceeded to unite and help heal the nation. July 18 - Mandela Day - marks Mandela’s birthday as well as a celebration of the sacrifices and achievements of one of the most inspirational and influential leaders of the modern age.




With his first fight for the human rights of every South African beginning in 1942, Nelson Mandela spent the first 67 years of his life leaving his imprint on the world. Citizens are urged to dedicate 67 minutes of their time—one minute for each year that Mandela served the public—in celebration of his life as an inspiration and as a first step toward a worldwide movement for good. People have responded positively to this call over the years, as public figures from all around the world have joined in to impact the lives of others in their own special way.



Song, dance, and music contributed tremendously to South Africa’s struggle and political history as it was used as a tool on global stages to fight against the apartheid regime. This was therefore the best way to celebrate Mandela Day, through music brought by a proud young South African DJ.






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How Shimza Became the First DJ to Play on Robben Island

Fuelled by support and encouragement from friends, family, and a sense of altruism, many dance artists contribute their time and energy toward philanthropic endeavors. Whether through volunteer work, scholarships, educational programming, or advocating for important issues like suicide prevention and mental health, many of your favorite artists are championing efforts for good across their communities and abroad.




Here are ten artists lending their efforts and wallets to noble causes when they’re not in the studio producing music or commandeering the decks at the club.




1. Ida Engberg and Adam Beyer



Techno, a genre notorious for its hedonistic sounds and stoic noir-clad DJs, isn’t often associated with philanthropy. However, one techno heavyweight who isn’t showy about her philanthropic work is setting out to make this world better with her partner. Since 2019, Swedish DJ Ida Engberg, along with her husband, Drumcode founder Adam Beyer, has headed Drumcode Festival in its efforts to raise money for an environmental cause close to their hearts. The event doubled as a joint Greenpeace project, with funds raised at the festival going directly to Amazon Watch—a nonprofit whose work supports indigenous Amazonians and the rainforest they call home.




2. Avicii



Though he is physically gone, Tim Bergling, aka Avicii’s legacy, lives on through the Tim Bergling Foundation and its charity work. Since his early days of notoriety, Tim’s altruistic nature led him to raise funds for food security in cities across the US. After his sudden death, his family vowed to continue the artist’s philanthropic work by launching the aptly named foundation, which continues to advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention and, most recently, raising awareness to the climate crisis and other environmental issues.




3. LP Giobbi & Lauren Spalding



The Femme House founder has made it her life’s mission to make the world of electronic dance music a more equitable place for women and LGBTQ+ artists to grow and thrive in. LP Giobbi and Lauren Spalding founded the Femme House nonprofit organization in 2019, vowing to “create safe spaces to learn, and always keep marginalized communities first and foremost in our minds,” she explained in an Instagram post announcing new programming aimed at creating new pathways for LGBTQIA+ artists. Through the new Theresa Velasquez Memorial Scholarship honoring DJ and Live Nation executive Theresa Velasquez, LP Giobbi will donate a portion of her booking fee for every LGBTQIA+ centered event she plays.






4. Shimza



South African DJ-producer Shimza’s penchant for philanthropy began at an early age. Today, the award-winning Tembisa-born artist has turned his large-scale philanthropic fundraising event into an annual event. Shimza’s One Man Show is an immense outdoor party in the DJ’s hometown in South Africa and often features the latest and greatest names in dance music. Proceeds from the charitable showcase benefit the town’s underprivileged children and drive job creation.




5. Alok



Brazilian dance music artist Alok is one artist looking to give back tremendously. The producer recently founded the Instituto Alok to combat poverty and other issues in his home country, Africa and India. Alok initially kicked off the initiative with a whopping $5.2 million donation from his wallet. Since its founding in 2020, the foundation has focused on food security, entrepreneurship, and human development.




6. DJ Bone & Ahnne Dulan



World-renowned Detroit artist DJ Bone officially began his philanthropic project in the early 2000s with support and encouragement from his wife, Ahnne Dulan. Together, they run the Homeless Homie charity organization, raising money for local homeless shelters. After years of charitable work, the nonprofit finally caught traction in 2018, as the philanthropic pair raised funds and collected toiletries for local shelters during the Christmas season. In years since, the Homeless Homies initiative has developed into a large-scale music event in Detroit and several other cities, with their biggest iterations happening at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) in 2019 and 2021.




7. Porter Robinson



After his younger sibling was diagnosed with a rare iteration of lymphoma, indie-electronic dance artist Porter Robinson founded the Robinson Malawi Fund to raise funds and awareness for the cancer most prominently found in Malawi, Africa. The artist continues to donate proceeds from his Second Sky Festival, now in its third iteration. At the festival’s inaugural event, the dance music producer raised around $150,000. Today, Robinson’s fund continues to raise money for research and directly provides resources for children suffering from the rare form of cancer.












Shimza

John Cameron

Lauryn Njeri

Melisa Yuriar