Winnie Khumalo

BIO

Born Mofolo North, Soweto in 1973, Winnie Khumalo was a South African singer, who passed away on 7 January 2025 after a short illness.

She was introduced to the music industry at the tender age of 15, having a hit with ‘Hey Lighty’ from her eponymous debut album in 1988, and soon going on to work with top producer Sello ‘Chicco’ Twala. She later ventured into gospel, with albums like Izono Zami in the 1990s produced by Pastor Langa Dube. Since then she has worked with the likes of the late Brenda Fassie, Pure Magic, Sipho Mbele, Brothers of Peace (B.O.P), Bongo Maffin, Zonke Dikana and DJ Cleo. She was on TV screens in Muvhango and Mponeng, on stage in The Journey and in a movie with popular comedian Madluphuthu.

She took a break from music to concentrate on her children. After seven years’ absence she returned in 2009 with Live My Life, produced by Oskido on Kalawa Jazzmee Records. It went gold, selling over 25 000 copies and earning a SAMA nomination for Record Of The Year. Often called upon to pay tribute to Brenda Fassie, in 2010 she played the late star on stage in the musical Ma Brrr at the State Theatre in Pretoria.