South African musicians are some of the bravest and some of the coolest out there. They’re not afraid to push the boundaries of music, and there are many music genres that have their roots in South Africa.
As well as making incredible music, how do pop stars in SA spend their time? What are the downtime activities for pop stars? In this guide, we explore some of the common themes and things that many of the modern popular musicians from the country seem to enjoy.
Fashion
We see you in your Gucci, Kabza De Small! Many musicians in a number of genres enjoy shopping around for the highest in fashion. When you’ve got millions of followers on Instagram, you need to look the part, right?
Kabza de Small is one of those musicians who does a good job of keeping much of his private life…well, private. A quick look at Instagram will tell you that he is into fashion, though, and you’ll see that he is always immaculately dressed.
Lots of amapiano musicians share the passion for fashion, too. Moonchild Sanelly is a great example, and she owns a label called Moonchild Cultwear. Rapper Mpura was another, as before he became a famous musician, he was involved in some huge shows at South Africa’s Fashion Week, showcasing Mpura Designs, a unisex street brand.
Casinos and gambling
There is a lot of crossover with South African musicians and rap culture, and that means that many of your favourite pop stars from SA have been seen gambling in casinos, visiting Las Vegas and probably even playing online casino games such as Yebo casino.
It’s a socialite’s thing to do, and a way to raise your profile, so it is easy to see why so many musicians love to spend their time gambling.
Nightclubs
Makes sense, right? A number of South African musicians and pop stars spend their time in nightclubs and enjoying other music and the nightlife scene around SA, which is improving all the time.
There are plenty of nightclubs in South Africa where these musicians can be found, but they have been known to frequent venues in London and beyond – Mr JazziQ recently travelled to London for some shows.
Dancing
Okay, so it isn’t always easy to work out whether dancing can be considered downtime for a musician or if it is part of the job description.
In 2021, Uncle Waffles made headlines by going viral with infectious and imaginative dance moves, and a quick look on Instagram or TikTok will show you how many South African pop stars share these dance skills.
Business ventures
Many of the musicians who have become famous already know how to hustle. Making a career as a successful musician is not always something that comes easily, so it makes sense that you have to have some entrepreneurial skills, and that is often translated to a musician’s downtime.
Okay, so running a business might not be downtime to most of us, but it is to those with a successful career elsewhere, and many pop stars have a second passion project that is their business.
For example, Mr JazziQ owns Junkpark, a venue described as “Where food meets the soul”. This is a space for amazing food, good drink, good company and of course, authentic music from the local area.
Plenty of other musicians have their side-hustles, including fashion labels.
Acting
Occasional pop stars have often tried their hand at acting, and you might see the odd appearance on a TV show or series.
This is also helped by the fact that there are so many programmes being made all the time, and South Africa even has its own thriving movie industry. Who could blame singers and musicians from trying to break in?
Of course, these are the sort of musicians who have to appear in their own music videos, anyway.
Travel
South African music is making ripples around the world, and this is giving the local pop stars the chance to travel to London, America and beyond. Look at your favourite musicians’ Insta, and restrictions permitting, you are likely to see that they have travelled to some impressive places and enjoyed fine hotels and fine dining in their downtime.
Conclusion
While all pop stars have their own hobbies and ideas of relaxation, South African pop stars seem to love the social life, food, travel and even sparking an entrepreneurial venture. Time to enjoy that hard-earned success, right?
