Showbiz
MaWhoo is Spotify EQUAL Africa Ambassador for July
South African singer and songwriter MaWhoo has stepped into her power as she’s been crowned Spotify’s EQUAL Africa Ambassador for July 2025. She joins a growing list of African women who are shaping the sound of now.
MaWhoo earned widespread acclaim for her soulful, spiritual sound that blends amapiano rhythms with deeply rooted Zulu influences. Her emotive vocal style and powerful storytelling have made her a standout voice in South Africa’s music scene, with collaborations alongside leading artists such as DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, and Sam Deep.
The EQUAL Africa initiative is part of Spotify’s broader commitment to spotlighting woman creators and driving equity in the music industry by providing tools and resources to promote gender parity
“When you’re selected for something like this, it means your name is being mentioned in rooms even when you’re not there,” MaWhoo said. “It speaks to the growth of my career from being overlooked to now being recognised on such a powerful platform. I’m grateful and deeply honoured.”
Raised in KwaZulu-Natal, MaWhoo born Thandeka Ngema discovered her passion for music early in life. But it was the release of her first professional single “Umshado” in 2018 that confirmed her path. Despite facing creative suppression in the early days of her career, she refused to give up, instead choosing to follow her calling with purpose and determination
We sat down with MaWhoo to learn more about her and her music:
What is that one surprising thing your fans might not know about you?
People didn’t know I can cook really well until I started posting food content on my socials. I can also braid and plait hair. I know how to do different hairstyles. I used to do it a lot when I was younger and when I was in high school, people even used to pay me. Another thing is that I can design clothes from scratch. I’m a designer and I used to own a boutique store.
When did you realise that making music was in your destiny and what is your WHY for pursuing this craft?
In 2018 when I released my first professional song “Umshado”, the positive feedback from people and the reception to the track made me realise that I can do this thing. But I’ve always been passionate about music from a young age.
There was a time when people used to make me do music and a sound that didn’t resonate with me; I couldn’t be creative fully and be expressive so people used to assume I couldn’t sing or that I wasn’t talented. I was often bullied and that made me stressed, but instead of leaving music I carried on and didn’t give up. I used that to push myself.
I believe the gift for music is a calling. I pursued music so I can express myself. I wanted to motivate, encourage and heal people with my voice. When I see genuine and heartfelt reactions from people, like seeing someone crying tears because of me and the lyrics that I write, it keeps me going.
Which African songs or artists did you grow up listening to?
I used to love Umgqumeni when I was younger. Umgqumeni is a late Maskandi artist that shaped the genre and inspired a lot of the artists making music right now.
I also used to listen to Thobekile, she makes traditional gospel music and is very spiritual.
To someone who has never heard your music, how would you describe the sound, tone, and style?
My voice is powerful, authentically African and bold. My writing is resonant. I would describe my sound as spiritual, emotive and versatile. I’m inspired by different African sounds and I’m not restricted to one genre or style of music.
Any advice for someone dreading following their dreams?
When you first start anything, it always feels impossible. So, if you have a dream, keep pushing and working towards it. Also, follow your heart – your heart will tell you if something is meant for you. Don’t do it for your family or friends, do it for you. They always say you don’t work a day when you do something you love, so it’s important to chase your dreams.
How do you navigate the music space as a woman artist and how does your unique perspective shape your artistry?
By empowering myself. I’m not afraid to take charge. I’m my own boss. I make decisions that make me happy. I don’t do things to please other people. I always put myself and my happiness first. I don’t do anything that’s going to make me feel uncomfortable. When I feel like the space I’m in or around is not working for me, I walk away.
I come from a very humble and loving family that has taught me a lot of things. My mother taught me that she can guide and tell me what’s right or wrong but she won’t control or dictate what I do with my life because I go out into the world on my own. She taught me that actions have consequences, good or bad, so I have to make my own decisions. Those teachings have taught me to respect everyone and treat people equally.
A quote from you about your experience navigating the male-dominated world of music and what being a part of the EQUAL programme means to you
As a woman, even beyond the music industry, there are challenges that we face. We are subjected to being wanted and approached by men promising us love or looking for intimacy, even in professional settings. As women, learn to stand your ground and say no. Teach people to respect you and your decisions. Don’t do things because you want to please others and want to be favoured, don’t sell your soul.
I believe that when you are selected for anything it means you are doing something right. It makes me happy, it means my name comes up in rooms even when I’m not there. It means there are people who think and consider me for such opportunities. It also speaks to the growth of my career over the years. When I first started I was a nobody, no one believed in me, including my own family because they were of the traditional belief of going to school and maybe becoming a teacher. But I persisted and pushed. I’m grateful and thankful for being recognised for such an important programme.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The 98th edition of the celebrated Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, known as the Oscars, was held on Sunday, March 15.
The ceremony was hosted by actor and comedian, Conan O’Brien.
Here is the compiled list of winners at the showpiece.
Best Picture
Bugonia
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another – WINNER
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners – WINNER
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet – WINNER
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another – WINNER
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Best Supporting Actress
Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan, Weapons – WINNER
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Best Director
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another – WINNER
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Original Screenplay
Robert Kaplow, Blue Moon
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler, Sinners – WINNER
Adapted Screenplay
Will Tracy, Bugonia
Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another – WINNER
Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams
Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
Kpop Demon Hunters – WINNER
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Documentary Feature
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
Mr Nobody Against Putin – WINNER
The Perfect Neighbor
International Feature
The Secret Agent, Brazil
It Was Just an Accident, France
Sentimental Value, Norway – WINNER
Sirāt, Spain
The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia
Best Editing
Stephen Mirrione, F1: The Movie
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another – WINNER
Olivier Bugge Coutté, Sentimental Value
Michael P. Shawver, Sinners
Cinematography
Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Darius Khondji, Marty Supreme
Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners – WINNER
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams
Original Score
Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Max Richter, Hamnet
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners – WINNER
Best Casting
Nina Gold, Hamnet
Jennifer Venditti, Marty Supreme
Cassandra Kulukundis, One Battle After Another – WINNER
Gabriel Domingues, The Secret Agent
Francine Maisler, Sinners
Best Production Design
Frankenstein – WINNER
Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
Hamnet
Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
Marty Supreme
Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
One Battle After Another
Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
Sinners
Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Monique Champagne
Best Costume Design
Deborah L. Scott, Avatar: Fire and Ash
Kate Hawley, Frankenstein – WINNER
Malgosia Turzanska, Hamnet
Miyako Bellizzi, Marty Supreme
Ruth E. Carter, Sinners
Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire and Ash – WINNER
F1: The Movie
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Best Sound
F1: The Movie – WINNER
Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, & Juan Peralta
Frankenstein
Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, & Brad Zoern.
One Battle After Another
José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio, & Tony Villaflor.
Sinners
Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, & Steve Boeddeker.
Sirât
Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, & Yasmina Praderas.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Frankenstein – WINNER
Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, & Cliona Furey
Kokuho
Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino, & Tadashi Nishimatsu
Sinners
Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, & Shunika Terry
The Smashing Machine
Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, & Bjoern Rehbein
The Ugly Stepsister
Thomas Foldberg & Anne Cathrine Sauerberg
Best Original Song
Dear Me
from Diane Warren: Relentless; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
Golden – WINNER
from KPop Demon Hunters; Music and Lyric by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park
I Lied to You
from Sinners; Music and Lyric by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
Sweet Dreams of Joy
from Viva Verdi!; Music and Lyric by Nicholas Pike
Train Dreams
from Train Dreams; Music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyric by Nick Cave
Best Live-Action Short
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
The Singers – WINNER (TIE)
Two People Exchanging Saliva – WINNER (TIE)
Best Documentary Short
All the Empty Rooms – WINNER
Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Children No More: “Were and Are Gone”
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly A Strangeness
Best Animated Short
Butterfly
Forevergreen
The Girl Who Cried Pearls – WINNER
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters.
|
The latest episode of Africa Magic Heartbeat saw the house adjusting to recent exits and shifting relationships. Sharon’s earlier departure and Henri’s elimination in episode eight left the remaining singles settling into their pairings while trying to understand where everyone truly stands. Hilda Reflects on Henri’s ExitHenri’s departure is still fresh in the house, and Hilda admitted she felt bad that her decision ultimately led to him leaving the Love Pad. However, she maintained that she did not regret choosing Bosah. In her view, even if she had chosen Henri, he likely would have remained in the house pursuing other connections. Queen Latifah Calls Out IgweThe episode’s biggest moment began when Queen Latifah expressed concerns about Igwe’s intentions toward Shekinah. While speaking with Hilda, she suggested that Shekinah might be allowing herself to be manipulated by Igwe and questioned whether he was truly serious about her. Queen Latifah later took the conversation directly to Shekinah, recounting how Igwe had previously shown interest in pursuing her and even suggested he was ready to compete with Ken for her attention. According to Queen Latifah, Igwe later dismissed his connection with Shekinah by saying she was “too serious” for him. The conversation quickly escalated when Igwe walked in mid-discussion. Words were exchanged as tensions rose, and what began as a private conversation eventually turned into one of the episode’s most heated moments. Igwe Seeks Clarity From AlvinFollowing the confrontation, Igwe later pulled Alvin aside to discuss Shekinah. With the house already questioning his intentions, he wanted to know if there was still anything between Alvin and Shekinah. Alvin made it clear that things had changed since Ceeoni arrived and that he had no intention of pursuing Shekinah if Igwe was serious about her. The conversation appeared to reassure Igwe that there was no competition from Alvin, and he seemed increasingly focused on resolving things with Shekinah. In a surprising turn, Igwe also acknowledged that the situation had gotten out of hand and attempted to make peace with Shekinah, even reaching out to Hilda, who is close to her, in hopes of smoothing things over. A Brief Moment of Jealousy Between Kena and ChideraEven the strongest couples can experience moments of friction. A brief moment of jealousy surfaced when Kena noticed Chidera wearing Alvin’s jacket, something that made him visibly uncomfortable, given that the two are now committed to each other. The tension was short-lived when Chidera quickly apologised and reassured him, bringing the moment to a calm resolution. The episode closed on a lighter note with a couples’ game that lifted everyone’s mood and brought energy back into the Love Pad after a day full of tension. One question lingered across the Love Pad as the episode wrapped up: has Heartbeat’s resident playboy finally fallen in love? Catch new episodes of Heartbeat every Sunday at 9 pm on Africa Magic Showcase, DStv Channel 151, and GOtv Channel 8. You can also catch up via the DStv Stream app or through Catch Up on your decoder. |
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new fashion interview show, The Fashion Roundtable, hosted by media personality, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, will premiere exclusively on YouTube on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
The programme will unearth the real, unfiltered conversations with the key players shaping Nigeria’s fashion industry.
The show will feature a powerful lineup of guests, including celebrity stylists Swazzi & Zack Aminu, model Ruth Vader, men’s footwear designer Kiing Davids, creative designers, Nkiru Achukwu of Zephans & Co, Morenike Olusanya of Bawsty, Aanuoluwa Ajide-Daniels of Aso and a host of other notable fashion entrepreneurs and industry players.
Viewers can anticipate standout revelations, such as designer Kiing Davids’ attempt at making women’s shoes that he ultimately abandoned, the story of Zephans & Co selling a staggering 35,000 outfits in one year, and the moment Bawsty’s first pop-up saw 600 registrations and sold out in less than two hours.
The host intends to look beyond the glitz and glamour, providing an intimate space for designers, models, and stylists to share their true behind-the-scenes stories.
The Fashion Roundtable is a direct response to the global attention Nigerian fashion is currently receiving, providing an essential platform to document the industry’s complexities.
Each episode features guests who discuss how they started, the significant challenges they face, how they recovered from failures, and how they financed their businesses. The series is committed to giving a voice to all parts of the fashion ecosystem, not just the designers.
“I created The Fashion Roundtable because I wanted a space to have real, honest conversations with the people who are shaping Nigeria’s fashion industry.
“We often only see the finished product, the beautiful outfits, but we rarely hear from the people behind the scenes about the work that goes into the process. Nigerian fashion is getting so much attention globally, and now feels like the perfect time to share these voices and their stories,” Olateru-Olagbegi said.
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