Interview: Kokota Afrika discusses South Africa’s thriving culture, promoting Amapiano, and who’s up next from the scene
Editor’s Note (July 2, 2024, 9:31 AM EST): An earlier version of this article referred to Modupi Ntisa as Module Ntisa, copied from an email from the company.
[media-credit name=”Photo: Courtesy” width=840 align=”center”]
[/media-credit]
Three months ago, South Africa’s digital culture hub Kokota Afrika—run by two young South African men Modupi Ntisa (left) and Lesedi Mashilane (right)—and GRUNGECAKE connected to discuss South Africa from the lens of a native or tourist, building a brand from scratch, the nightlife in Johannesburg, the culture, Zone 6 and who we should be on our radar.
GRUNGECAKE: Many Americans travel to South Africa before venturing out to other African countries. I’ve even suggested it to fellow Americans because of our similarities in culinary options, luxury living, and brand recognition. If I hadn’t been to Johannesburg, South Africa, how would you describe it to me as a foreigner or tourist? What makes the country and the people great?
Kokota Afrika: Johannesburg is a city that was once describe[d] to be the City of Gold but today, it’s a social hub filled with talent. From musicians to painters Johannesburg has it all. Some describe it to be a jungle with everyone fighting their way to the top of the food chain. I think that’s the beauty of all. It create[s] a sense of culture within the city with everyone striving to bring something new and unique to the table. This is a city that never sleeps.
GRUNGECAKE: I met you guys during my first trip to South Africa. Since then, we’ve witnessed growth in your business in six months. From the parties to the follower count (nearly 400,000), you’re running a popular platform, Kokota Afrika. How long has Kokota Afrika been in business? What would you say has been the most rewarding thing (or things) you’ve accomplished as a brand so far?
Kokota Afrika: Kokota Afrika was established in 2021 in hopes of presenting the world the true African gem that was embedded in the core of the South African musical scene, Amapiano. Since then, we have become a major factor in the development of the genre, working so hard to discover the undiscovered. Artists like Uncle Waffles, Pcee, Justin99 and Toss, to name a few, are artists we worked so hard to place center stage of the industry and we do not plan to stop any time soon. Kokota Afrika is a reward on its own. We look at it as a community and not a social media page and leading the people in this community is the greatest reward we could ever ask for.
GRUNGECAKE: How would you describe the music scene in Johannesburg? Which part of Johannesburg would you say has the best nightlife and why?
Kokota Afrika: As I stated before, Johannesburg is a jungle. Every one that lives here is hungry for their top spot in the musical scene. This kind of environment is necessary in the development of music in South Africa because it forces everyone to bring their own uniqueness to the table allowing for the music here to become more and more diverse.
GRUNGECAKE: How paramount is South African culture to you as individuals and as a brand?
Kokota Afrika: South African culture is what built us, it’s what built Amapiano. Without the South African culture, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation as two individuals. So to answer your question, the South African culture is the most important thing to us and to our brand.
GRUNGECAKE: You guys also contribute to programming in Soweto (a 45-minute drive from Rosebank) at a thriving club called Zone 6. Tell us about some of the shows you’ve produced and what you have coming up in June and July.
*Kokota Afrika didn’t answer this question, unfortunately.*
GRUNGECAKE: You’re around and support many talented local artists through the performance series you produce and through artist management. Who are some artists you believe should be on our radar, and why?
Kokota Afrika: Kokota Afrika prides itself on discovering the undiscovered. There are artists all around this country who deserve to sit centre stage of the musical scene and they are Tycoon, Jaylooks, Sjavas Da Deejay, Stixx.
