SA’s Jabulile Majola named Apple Music Up Next artist

The announcement coincides with the release of his Isitifiketi EP, an emotive storytelling project blending folk, acoustic and traditional sounds. Rooted in faith, identity and community, the EP can be streamed here. It was developed and released by Cape Town-based independent record label Quiet Life Co, and distributed globally via PLATOON.

“It’s such an amazing honour to be included in the Up Next programme,” Jabulile Majola told Apple Music. “I’m proud of this platform for championing African storytelling, voices that are full of life and deserve to be heard by the world.”

The Zulu word “isitifiketi” translates to “certificate” in English, something witnessed and recognised. For Majola, this project is exactly that. An archival record of where he’s been, who he’s become, and the stories that have shaped him.

“Growing up in a Children’s Home in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, storytelling was everything for me. From folk tales to stories about the world beyond. Life in the countryside was slow, and our imaginations made distant places feel close. Isitifiketi is a window into that world, a reflection on my faith, my memory, and my journey of becoming,” he said.

As the latest Up Next act to be spotlighted in South Africa, Jabulie Majola will be featured on Apple Music’s Up Next playlist. The curated playlist features a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. It is genre agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience.