Obituaries
Winnie Khumalo, South African Icon of Afropop, Dies at 51
Afropop legend died on January 5, 2025, leaving South Africa in mourning.
Celebrated South African singer Winnie Khumalo passed away on January 7, 2025, after a brief illness – her family confirmed – throwing the country into mourning. She was 51 years old.
The Afropop artist renowned for her powerful voice and long music career spanning four decades is famous for her hit song Live My Life and collaborations with the late Brenda Fassie.
Khumalo gained fame in the 1980s and quickly made a name for herself with her powerhouse voice and thrilling performances on stage.
Besides being a musician, she also made appearances in several popular South African TV series, including Muvhango and Mponeng, and even made an appearance in Chicco Twala’s film Madluphuthu.
Her sister, Tshepi Akeepile, said Khumalo had seemed to be recovering from a short illness, but was unfortunately declared dead en route to the hospital.
“My sister was sick. She did have a short illness and we thought she was recovering. But this morning it turned out she hadn’t fully recovered. She was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead,” Akeepile told SABC TV.
The nature of her illness was not immediately clear.
Khumalo’s death has left a deep void in the South African music and entertainment fraternity.
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Born in 1973 in Mofolo North, Soweto, Khumalo began her career at 15 – releasing hit albums like Hey Laitie and Tshina Tshina, both produced by Sello “Chicco” Twala.
In the 1990s, she turned to gospel with Izono Zami and continued to experiment with genres.
After a break to focus on family, Khumalo returned in 2007 with I Just Wanna Live My Life, which went gold and featured the chart-topping title track.
The singer is survived by her two children, Rethabile and Thabo Khumalo. Her legacy will live on through her daughter, Rethabile Khumalo, who carries on the family’s musical tradition.
