Khulekani

Khulekani Chili, better known simply as Khulekani, is a South African gospel singer and songwriter. He was born and raised in KZN, but currently resides in Johannesburg. 

From a young age, Khulekani was involved in the church. He was the lead singer of his church for many years. He eventually decided to leave his hometown to chase his musical dreams in Johannesburg. According to him, when he first arrived in Johannesburg, things were difficult for him. He had no money and was basically homeless. He would perform in the streets to try to make some money while regularly approaching places like the SABC in the hopes of getting his music heard. He finally got his lucky break when he was scouted and began singing at a church based in Auckland Park. He went on to make a further good impression and got signed to a record label. His debut album, Ingane Yomfana, was released in 2007 and was very popular. He went on to perform at many events and win various music awards. 

When he was at the peak of his career, he started encountering difficulties when he developed an addiction to alcohol and drugs. A series of bad decisions led to him losing everything he had worked so hard to achieve. Out of desperation, he sold his assets and had to downgrade his standard of living. He stopped releasing music and performing for a few years. He appeared on a local show called “I Blew It,” where he recounted his journey from humble beginnings to success, to losing it all. He also appeared on the show “Uyaphuza,” in an attempt to overcome his addiction to alcohol. After rehabilitation, he started working as an addiction counsellor to help others overcome the challenges he once faced. He is also attempting to resurrect his music career. He has since released a few songs and occasionally performs at events.