Thando Skwatsha’s journey begins in Gugulethu, Cape Town, where hymns from township churches mingled with the R&B tapes he played on repeat. That early collision of heritage and aspiration set the tone for a voice that now stitches isiXhosa, isiZulu and English into an Afro-soul fabric at once intimate and expansive. Years as a lead chorister took him from local halls to stages such as Madison Square Garden, honing the commanding yet warm stage presence for which he is known today.

In 2022 he released his 12-track debut iimini nentsuku (“days and nights”) through Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa. Produced by long-time collaborator Milan Rendall and mastered at Abbey Road Studios, the record showcased lush Afro-soul and amapiano-brushed pop while staying rooted in storytelling steeped in home, family and faith. The album’s success laid a foundation—but it was the aftermath that refined the mission. After parting ways with the label, Thando returned to Cape Town as a fully independent artist, determined to build a career on his own terms.

That resolve is forged from hard-won experience. Seasons in Los Angeles brought visa limits, late-night shifts and bouts of housing insecurity; the sudden loss of his mother deepened both the grief and the gratitude he pours into song. Those trials affirmed his purpose: to offer “hope, love and consolation in times of hardship, and perspective and peace in times of plenty.”

Today Thando stands at the threshold of a fresh chapter—rewriting, retelling and inventing new stories with sharper self-awareness and stricter boundaries than before. Backed by a growing Cape Town creative community, he is crafting music and live experiences designed as communal meals: nourishing, celebratory and unafraid to confront pain. Whether fronting a full band or leading a stripped-back prayer of voice and keys, Thando’s message remains constant—light floods in through every crack.

uThando uyabulela.

“from Thando, thank you.”