Zakes Bantwini

Zakes Bantwini announced he will be retiring as a recording artist this year. Image via Instagram @zakesbantwini/ @postmalone._

‘It’s over for Zakes Bantwini’: Zakhele Madida retires from performing

Zakes Bantwini has had a long and successful run in the music industry. He has rubbed shoulders with huge local and international stars and even released iconic hits with some of them.

Zakes Bantwini

Zakes Bantwini announced he will be retiring as a recording artist this year. Image via Instagram @zakesbantwini/ @postmalone._

Zakhele Madida popularly known as Zakes Bantwini revealed he will be retiring as a recording artist. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, he explained his plans to release his last album this year.

MUSIC TO MY EARS: ZAKES BANTWINI FEATURING POST MALONE?

Zakes Bantwini shared a picture photographed by BlaQ Smith at the Fifa World Cup in December standing with Post Malone. South African fans wondered whether the two had any plans to collaborate in the near future.

According to the report, it was not the first time the musicians had seen each other. In 2019, Zakes Bantwini and Malone first met in Johannesburg at The Dome For Castle Lite Unlocks and no confirmed collaborations have been set as of yet, however, discussions to link up in the studio are happening.

What was clear was that the Osama hitmaker has been hustling in the music industry for almost two decades and was planning to wrap up and hang his mic.

“I don’t want to say I’m retiring from music, but this is my last album that I’m working on under this brand. It’s over for Zakes Bantwini.

“But Zakhele Madida is still going to produce music for other people, and you know what they say…you should quit while you are still on top,” the report quoted him as saying.

Zakes Bantwini
Zakes Bantwini has won several awards as a recording artist but that’s about it from him because he announced that he would retire soon. Image via Instagram@ zakesbantwini

ALSO READ: WINNERS LIST: Zakes Bantwini’s ‘Osama’ wins big at #SAMA28

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

News24 reported the musician from KwaMashu township in Kwazulu-Natal will be headed out to the United States (US) to attend the Grammy Awards this February. Zakes Bantwini was nominated for the US award for the time for the song Bayethe which was released mid-last year.

When he received the news in November 2022, the Imali hitmaker took his excitement to his Instagram and said,

“I’ve just received my first Grammy nomination 😢, God is the greatest.”

According to Zalebs, when Zakes Bantwini initially heard about his nomination, he was out at a restaurant having dinner with friends.

“I was so happy and called everybody to share this moment with me. I made so much noise, and I am sure some of the customers in that restaurant thought I was crazy but, I was excited that I am nominated at the Grammy’s.

“This is the biggest accolade I could ever get,” the report quoted him as saying.

Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode who feature the Zakes Bantwini on the nominated song will be joining him in the US as they wave the flag up high for South Africa.

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