Kelvin Momo: Headlining eThekwini Shisanyama Festival

The eThekwini Shisanyama Festival returns for its second edition on September 26, 2026, with Amapiano heavyweight Kelvin Momo headlining the Heritage Month celebration at Berea Rovers in Durban.

The festival brings together food entrepreneurs, music lovers, and communities from across KwaZulu-Natal to celebrate music, culture, and authentic South African cuisine.

It also shines a spotlight on the growing influence of township food culture and the role of independent shisanyamas in creating jobs, attracting visitors, and contributing to the local economy.

Honoring a Legacy of Township Entrepreneurship

Festival founder Lunga Mkhize, owner of Metro Gents Shisanyama in Umlazi, explains that the event was inspired by the late Jabulani “Mjay” Zama, founder of the iconic Eyadini Lounge, whose business changed perceptions of what township entrepreneurship could achieve.

“Mjay showed us that a shisanyama could become much more than a place to eat,” says Mkhize. “He built a destination that attracted people from all walks of life while creating opportunities for the community around him. His vision inspired many of us who own shisanyamas today, and this festival is about continuing that legacy.”

Supporting Local Vendors and Youth Employment

The festival gives emerging businesses – many of them small, independently owned meat vendors who started on street corners before opening permanent establishments – a major platform to showcase their products to thousands of visitors.

With youth unemployment remaining a significant socio-economic challenge in South Africa, food enterprises provide an accessible route into self-employment. “When people support local vendors, they are supporting families, creating jobs and helping small businesses grow,” Mkhize adds.

Celebrating Heritage Through Food

Hosting the event during Heritage Month is a deliberate choice, as food naturally brings people together across diverse cultures over shared elements like pap and vleis, braaibroodjies, and the traditional braai.

More info about Kelvin Momo

Thato Kelvin Ledwaba, globally known as Kelvin Momo, was born and raised in Diepkloof, Soweto. His early relationship with music began through the piano, playing at local events and church services.

These formative experiences shaped his deep appreciation for emotional melodies and rich instrumentation, laying the groundwork for a career defined by musicality and soul.

While the early Amapiano sound was heavily defined by raw log-drums and street-heavy grit, Kelvin Momo helped redefine the landscape.

He is widely celebrated as a pioneer of “Private School Amapiano,” a subgenre that infuses traditional Amapiano rhythms with smooth jazz chords, deep house textures, lush lounge pads, and sophisticated instrumentation.

By trading aggressive beats for flowing, emotive keys and complex arrangements, he carved out a distinct lane that elevated Amapiano into an art form akin to high-end lounge and jazz music.

Kelvin Momo rose to prominence through early collaborative tracks and underground tapes, working alongside key architects of the movement like Kabza De Small.