Ndlovu Youth Choir announces 2026 SA tour dates

The tour will open at Cape Town’s Artscape Opera House, with performances scheduled from 5 to 8 February 2026, before concluding at the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 30 July to 2 August 2026. Tickets for all dates are already on sale through major ticketing platforms.

Founder and conductor Ralf Schmitt said the 2026 programme places a stronger emphasis on South African musical traditions, alongside the choir’s established reinterpretations of international repertoire.

“The aim is to cover a wide range of South African genres, including gospel, ghoema and an amapiano medley, as well as hits from many of South Africa’s greatest singers and bands such as Mango Groove, Hugh Masekela, Johnny Clegg and Miriam Makeba,” Schmitt said.

According to the choir, the setlist will feature well-known local songs including ‘African Dream’ and ‘Pata Pata’, alongside African-themed global tracks such as ‘Circle of Life’ and ‘Waka Waka’. The performances will also include international works that have become associated with the ensemble, including Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and Puccini’s ‘Nessun Dorma’.

Founded in 2009 in Limpopo’s Moutse Valley as part of a community outreach initiative, the Ndlovu Youth Choir has grown into one of South Africa’s most prominent cultural exports. The ensemble is known for combining choral harmonies with choreography rooted in African performance traditions.

Internationally, the choir has appeared at events and venues including Germany’s Africa Festival, the AFAS Theatre in the Netherlands and Carnegie Hall in New York. It has also performed for prominent figures such as Trevor Noah, King Charles III and Bill Gates.

The 2026 tour dates are as follows: Artscape Opera House, Cape Town, from 5 to 8 February, and Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg, from 30 July to 2 August. Tickets are available via showtime.co.za and ticketmaster.co.za.