Benjamin Jephta: A Full-circle moment at the Joy of Jazz Festival

For South African bassist and composer Benjamin Jephta, stepping onto the Joy of Jazz stage this year is a full-circle moment.

This milestone also comes as Jephta celebrates a decade since the release of his debut album, Homecoming, with the Joy of Jazz standing as a central pillar in his journey since.

“The younger Benjamin would be wide-eyed, in disbelief at how far I’ve come. I was once part of the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Band, standing in the crowd and imagining what it would be like to play on that stage. To now be headlining one of the biggest stages at the festival is both humbling and affirming — it feels like a full-circle moment,” he shares.

This year, Jephta joins a myriad of prolific performers from different parts of the world over the three day music extravaganza, 26 to 28 September, where he will also get a chance to lend his voice as part of the Jazz Wise Career Development Workshop panel — a space designed to offer guidance, training, and networking opportunities for aspiring professionals eager to carve their own paths in the industry.

And the timing is perfect, coming on the heels of a deeply reflective chapter in his career, which he describes as a time of growth and giving back — “not only playing the music but also contributing to the larger story of South African jazz,” he shares. 

“Festivals like Joy of Jazz create space where the music breathes beyond the clubs and academic institutions. They connect artists to wider audiences, and they remind us that jazz is not just for insiders — it’s for everyone. They make the music visible, accessible, and part of the cultural memory of the country.”

Jephta recently released Still I Rise (Part 1), the lead single from his forthcoming album Homecoming Revisited. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s timeless poem, the song revisits resilience — a theme Jephta first explored on his debut album a decade ago.

His upcoming project, Homecoming Revisited, blends South African jazz with Afrobeats, hip-hop textures and amapiano grooves, creating a sound that is youthful yet mature, global yet deeply rooted at home.

“For me, it’s about expanding the idea of what South African jazz can be,” Jephta explains. “It’s still about storytelling and identity, but it’s also about reimagining how those stories can resonate with a younger generation.”

Looking back on his career, Jephta admits the biggest surprise has been how much the music has evolved — both globally and personally.

Still, no matter how much has changed, his hope remains simple: that his presence and performance at Joy of Jazz inspire the next generation.

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Cape Argus