Swayvee’s first SA visit blends music, culture and food

Nigerian artist Swayvee is finally in Mzansi!

He arrived on Saturday, August 16, and will be here until Friday, August 22.

The trip follows the release of the remix of his single “US” with Amapiano star Young Stunna.

The original track, released in March, has racked up 9.9 million streams, and with the remix, total streams have now passed 14.5 million worldwide.

Speaking to “Independent Media Lifestyle”, Swayvee said performing in SA had been a goal for some time. 

“I’ve always wanted to visit South Africa, way before the record. I have some really close connections here, and I’m happy to finally get the opportunity to be in close proximity with my fans,” he said.

“I want to make the best of every moment that I spend here.”

On working with Stunna, he added: “The South African fans have been requesting that I come to SA, like connect on a more personal level, and the reception has been warm so far with the different events that I’ve performed at. They actually loved me. Big shout out to Young Stunna.”

Asked which other local artists he’d like to collaborate with, Swayvee named Shekhinah and Zee Nxumalo.

“One of my goals has been to bridge cultures, and that’s what I intend to do with this record,” he said.

“Being accepted here shows that diversity and connection are things we need. I’m happy to be one of the people doing that right now.”

Beyond the music, Swayvee is keen to explore local culture.

“I will be trying South African food. That’s the one thing I’ve been looking forward to. I also want to visit Cape Town - it’s on my checklist. I’ll be more excited when I get there, but I’m also excited in Johannesburg. I think Cape Town has something for me, too.”

Born Ezekiel Georgewill in Port Harcourt, Swayvee began in rap cyphers before developing his mix of melodic rap, afrofusion and spiritual sounds. His debut EP “Persuasion” is set for release later this year. 

The name Swayvee - inspired by Tory Lanez’s “Swavey”, a blend of rap and melody - speaks to the fluidity of his sound. He launched his professional career in 2018 with Etins Records, drawing influence from Mr. Eazi, Runtown, Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tory Lanez.

After building a cult following with Audiomack-exclusive freestyles in 2020, he broke through with debut single “DMS” and the collaboration “Wild” with labelmate Yarden. He later founded Weirdsid3, a creative collective rooted in astronomy, spirituality and magic.

His 2021 EP titled “Lost Files” highlighted his experimental side with tracks like “Magical” and “Waka Waka Baby”. In 2023, he gained traction with the Afro-drill single “PARA” - co-created with Zhus Jdo.