Giyani’s female DJ makes waves in the industry

From the tender age of five, this feisty DJ showed a talent for music and dance. “My father owned taverns, so I grew up in the taverns in Makhuva, the village where I was born. One day my father had a festival and booked an artist called SollyBoy. I managed to sneak in, jumped on stage, and started dancing.

“At the age of five I started dancing for an artist called KFC, but it was hard to convince my mother. At the age of eight, I was staying with my grandmother full-time in Giyani Section F and she used to charge people when they wanted me to dance at their parties and I did not get a cent from the proceeds,” Lady Shiks told the Herald.

When she was 11-years-old, her mother and siblings moved to ka-Dzingidzingi. “I loved the village, it made me the person I am today. “There were more than three taverns in one street and I mastered the skill to listen to three songs at the same time.” She says that while studying for matric, she listened to the radio all the time and memorised her science theories on the tune of songs.

But it was at university that Lady Shiks fell head-over-heels in love with the art of playing sets. She was studying towards her BSc degree in Water and Sanitation at the University of Limpopo and mingled with other DJs from the university while learning the ropes. Her career officially took off when she pursued her life-long dream and enrolled at the Soul Candi Institute of Music for the DJ 101 course after graduating from the University of Limpopo.

“In 2011 I kick-started my music career professionally and played a lot of free gigs. In 2013 I got recognised by Capricorn FM, the very station where I am a resident DJ today, something for which I will be forever grateful. I worked very hard at the Lady Shiks brand. Lady Shiks is part of me, there is no Dyondzo without Lady Shiks. “I don’t know how I do it, but I believe patience is the key. If you see my name out there one day, just know that I worked hard for it and I deserve it,” she added.

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She has since become a household name and has set on fire many radio stations and dance floors, not only in South Africa, but also in Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique. She has shared stages with South African greats such as Black Coffee, Sho Madjozi, Benny Mayengani, DJ Ganyani, DJ Tira, and Da Capo, to mention a few. She released her first single Ni Langhe Wena on November 14, 2018, and is determined to keep them coming.

This Limpopo force of nature also has a big heart. She teamed up with Mumly Nkuna in 2016 and launched the “We Are Magic” campaign. They distribute sanitary pads at schools around Ermelo. She also annually donates matric dance dresses and judges a youth talent search event in her village. In 2018 she released a song, Ni langhe wena, which was nominated for a best Xitsonga house music award at the GCR
Xitsonga Music Awards.

She was also nominated for the best female DJ at Limpopo Music Awards (LIMA) in 2019. Lady Shiks also started the “Tsonga Queen Diary”, a female-only DJ and artists’ line-up. In 2020 she was named one of the best DJs in Limpopo and became a resident DJ at Capricorn FM. “I also launched Shiks Chilli Sauce which is available in two flavours, lemon, and herb and hot.”

In 2021 she launched an art business called #DiyByShiks. “I create various items such as crowns, flower pots and vases, candle holders, mirrors, and watches. I also do wall art,” she added. This year she launched “Becoming_A_ Queen”.

“It was an event where artists performed and the entrance fee was five packets of sanitary pads minimum. It was held in Giyani at Chill-Out Spot on April 17,” she said. For bookings, contact Lady Shiks at 078 123 7000 or by email to djladyshiks@gmail.com