Zonke Dikana Biography: Age, Family, Education and Career

Zonke Dikana, better known as Zonke, was born on October 11, 1979, and is a prominent South African singer and songwriter.

She gained significant recognition in 2011 with her third album, “Ina Ethe,” which achieved double platinum status and earned a nomination at the 18th South African Music Awards.

Following this success, she released “Give and Take Live” in 2013, which quickly attained gold status and secured her a place on Channel O’s list of “Africa’s Top 10 Female Singing Sensations.”

FACTS ABOUT ZONKE DIKANA

• FULL NAME: Zonke Dikana
• DATE OF BIRTH: October 11, 1979
• PLACE OF BIRTH: KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape South Africa
• NATIONALITY: South African
• OCCUPATIONS : Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, DJ
• LABELS: Sony

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Hailing from KwaZakhele in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Zonke was exposed to music early in life, influenced by her father, who was a drummer in the band Black Slave and the Flamingo.

Her stepmother, the late Anneline Malebo, also played a significant role in her musical upbringing as a singer in the band Joy.

Zonke furthered her education at the University of the Free State, where she earned a degree in human resource management in 1997.

CAREER

Zonke’s music career began with collaborations with artists such as Ringo and Joe Nina.

She made a breakthrough by writing a song for the band Jazzkantine, which led to the formation of Culture Clan alongside rappers Mandla and Mzo.

The Culture Clan’s album “Africa” received acclaim in Germany, gaining recognition from Channel O and the Metro FM Music Awards.

Zonke later released successful solo albums like “Soulitary” and “Life, Love ‘n Music” in Germany, Japan, and Italy.

In 2011, she signed with TMP Records and launched her third album, “Ina Ethe,” which achieved double platinum status.

Zonke’s live album, “Give and Take Live,” released by Sony Music Entertainment in 2013, achieved gold status and garnered several awards at the South African Music Awards.

Following the death of her sister, Lulu Dikana, Zonke channeled her emotions into her fourth album, “Work of Heart,” which included singles such as “Reach It” and “Meet Me in My Dreams.”

This album, inspired by her personal experiences, was launched in September 2015 by Sony Music Entertainment and received numerous award nominations, eventually going platinum in July 2016.

Her seventh album, “L.O.V.E,” released in June 2018, featured the platinum-selling single “Tonight” and won the award for Best R&B/Soul Album at the 2019 South African Afro Music Awards.

Zonke kicked off her concert series, “Zonke: The Evergreen In Concert,” on February 19 at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town, with a total of 10 performances concluding on February 29.

In October 2021, she released the single “Lady” as the lead track for her upcoming album.

On April 22, 2022, Zonke announced that her new album, “Enigma,” was complete and set for release on May 27.

She teased fans with the album artwork and released her second single, “Oko,” on April 26, which quickly topped the charts upon its release on April 29, 2022.

Her studio album “Embo” was unveiled on November 3, 2023.

To promote this album, Zonke announced a national tour beginning on April 29 at the Grand Arena in Cape Town.

PERSONAL LIFE

Zonke Dikana is married to Tumi Mokoena and is the mother of two children, Noah and Milani.