South African Amapiano sensation Kelvin Momo is at the centre of a legal storm as an Australian events company seeks to liquidate his music label following his failure to honour a tour agreement last year.
The Johannesburg High Court has received liquidation papers from Ace Events, a promotion company based in Australia, which is demanding more than R2.8 million in damages and refunds from Kelvin Momo Production, the artist’s company. The promoter claims the loss was incurred after Momo failed to pitch up for two scheduled performances on the “Kelvin Momo Australian Tour 2024”.
According to court documents, Ace Events director Million Mwenge Butshiire signed a contract with Kelvin Momo, real name Thato Kelvin Ledwaba, and his representative Devon Peterson, for shows in Melbourne on 2 November and Perth on 3 November 2024. Under the agreement, the artist was paid a 50% deposit, with the balance to follow a week before the performances.
However, Momo allegedly missed flights on three separate occasions—October 31, November 1, and November 2—despite repeatedly assuring the promoter that he intended to perform and requesting rescheduled flights. Ultimately, he failed to appear for either show, forcing Ace Events to cancel the gigs and refund ticket holders.
Some fans had reportedly travelled across the country and even booked accommodation to attend the events. The failure to perform led to major financial losses for the promoter, who had invested heavily in logistics and marketing.
Ace Events claims that after the missed shows, Momo and his team avoided communication and failed to engage meaningfully about rescheduling. A letter of demand issued by the promoter’s legal team was also allegedly ignored.
“The respondent and its director failed, refused and/or neglected to repay Ace Events the monies that had been advanced,” said Butshiire in the court papers. “This pattern of avoidance indicates the respondent’s unwillingness to comply with its legal obligations, further justifying the need for immediate liquidation.”
As the legal battle intensifies, Kelvin Momo has not publicly commented on the matter. The music community now watches closely to see whether the court will rule in favour of liquidating one of Amapiano’s most prominent entities.
