Multi-award winning musician Bulelwa Mkutukana, better known as Zahara, has passed away.
The Loliwe hitmaker and singer was hospitalized two weeks ago, reportedly after complications with her liver.
— ZAHARA (@ZaharaSA) November 27, 2023
Her death was confirmed overnight by Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa. She was 36 years old.
She had spent time in hospital before for liver disease. In December 2018, she was in hospital for a month, with her doctors reportedly warning she could die if she didn’t stop drinking.
Zahara has won 17 South African Music Awards in her career. She also won three Metro FM Awards, and one Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
Zahara was on the 2020 list of the BBC’s 100 Women. She appeared as a guest judge on the seventeenth season of Idols South Africa in 2021.
After signing a record deal with TS Records, Mkutukana’s debut album, Loliwe (2011), went double platinum.
Her second album, Phendula (2013), produced three chart-topping singles “Phendula”, “Impilo”, and “Stay”.
Zahara’s third album, Country Girl (2015), was certified triple platinum.
Following her departure from TS Records, she signed a record deal with Warner Music. Her fourth album, Mgodi (2017), was her best-selling album and was certified platinum.
Her fifth album, Nqaba Yam (2021), peaked at number 1 on iTunes.
