Tems will bring her Born in The Wild World Tour to South Africa in March. Picture: @temsbaby/X
A week after ditching Rwanda for its political stance, Nigerian artist Tems will bring her Born in the Wild Tour to South Africa in March.
Big Concerts announced that the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Tems would perform at The Dome in Joburg on 20 March 2025.
ALSO READ: Nigerian singer Tems cancels show in Rwanda because of country’s role in DRC conflict [VIDEO]
Tems was initially scheduled to perform at Rwanda’s BK Arena in Kigali on 22 March as part of her Born in the Wild Tour.
However, she dropped the east-central African country because of its alleged role in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict. Rwanda has denied involvement in supporting the M23 rebels.
“So I recently promoted my show in Rwanda without realising that there is ongoing conflict between Rwanda and Congo,” said Tems, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi.
The singer, the first Nigerian woman to win a Grammy award, shared the statement on her social media accounts, where she admitted to being unaware of what was happening in the DRC.
“I never ever intend to be insensitive to real-world issues, and I sincerely apologise if this came across that way. I simply had no idea this was going on.”
“My heart goes out to those affected. Conflict is no joke, and I truly hope and pray for peace in this time.”
Tickets for the Thursday concert are R800 for general admission.
South Africans had been lobbying Tems to come to South Africa after her show in Kigali was cancelled.
This was in light of the controversy surrounding the deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers and the overall conflict in the DRC.
In January, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame rejected South Africa’s version of events in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kagame accused Ramaphosa of lying about a recent conversation they had on the clashes in the DRC.
Kagame’s stance is that the South African president privately admitted the SA soldiers were killed by DRC armed forces instead of the M23 rebels.
ALSO READ: ‘A source of immense pride for SA’: Gayton McKenzie on flautist Wouter Kellerman’s third Grammy win
Tems won the Best African Music Performance award at the Grammys earlier this week.
The win was for her hit song Love Me Jeje, which samples the iconic 1997 single with the same title by Nigerian pop star Seyi Sodimu.
“Dear God, thank you so much for putting me on this stage,” said Tems.
The 29-year-old is the first woman from Nigeria to win a Grammy in 2023, when she won Best Melodic Rap Performance as a featured artist on Future’s song Wait For You with Drake.
This latest win is her first solo Grammy.
NOW READ: ‘It’s not entertainment, it is art’ — Artists tell President Ramaphosa ahead of Sona 2025
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
