About Shimza

DJ Shimza — Kholofelo Ashley Raphala — is a DJ, producer and promoter from Tembisa, Gauteng, and one of the artists who carried South Africa's Afro Tech sound to the biggest stages in the world. He started DJing in 2003, won the Red Square DJ Competition in 2006 and the Gauteng Carnival DJ Competition in 2011, and in 2013 signed to Black Coffee's Soulistic Music, which released his debut album Shimuzic in 2015.

In 2009 he launched the One Man Show, his own charity event, which has grown into a festival of more than 25,000 people and won Best Festival at the 2019 SA Dance Music Awards — the same year he was named Best Male DJ. On Mandela Day 2020 he took the show to Robben Island for the island's first livestreamed concert, with Siya Kolisi, raising money for COVID-19 relief. In November 2020 he founded KUNYE — "together" — a record label and event series that now runs open-air parties in South Africa, Kenya, London and Paris.

Albums One Man Show (2016), Eminence (2019) and Kimberley (2021) were followed by the EPs Dreaming (2024) and Sunset in Pretoria (2026), the RISA Gold hit "Uwrongo" with Prince Kaybee, Black Motion and Ami Faku, and collaborations with Aloe Blacc, CamelPhat, Elderbrook and Rachel Chinouriri. "Fire Fire" won Song of the Year at the 2026 Miami Electronic Dance Music Awards.

On the road, Shimza has played Cercle, Boiler Room, Burning Man's Robot Heart and the Tomorrowland main stage (2025) and Crystal Garden (2026), opened Black Coffee's Hï Ibiza season and brought his own Shimza & Co. residency to Chinois Ibiza (2025) and Pacha Ibiza (2026).