South African R&B artist and songwriter Lusanda Ngcobo, who performs simply as Lusanda, has been selected as Spotify’s EQUAL Africa Artist of the Month for September, marking another important step in the rising singer’s career.
The monthly initiative is part of Spotify’s wider EQUAL programme, which aims to increase visibility for women artists while helping their music reach audiences across Africa and internationally. Lusanda’s latest recognition comes after a run of career milestones that have increasingly placed her among the new generation of South African R&B voices to watch. Earlier this year, she made history as the first South African woman artist to participate in Spotify Singles.
For the Spotify Singles project, Lusanda delivered her own intimate interpretation of “Mad World,” drawing from Gary Jules’ well-known version of the Tears for Fears classic. Her stripped-down approach places her vocals at the centre of the recording, allowing the emotional weight of the song to come through while giving the familiar track a distinctly personal character.
Spotify’s support of Lusanda extends beyond the Singles release. Her relationship with the platform began with her debut pop record, “When You’re Around,” which received backing through Spotify Fresh Finds Africa, a programme focused on introducing emerging independent artists from across the continent to new listeners.
Since then, Lusanda has continued to shape a sound that sits between R&B, pop and contemporary African influences. Her music is marked by an intimate songwriting style, emotional storytelling and a vocal identity that has become central to her growing catalogue.
The latest EQUAL Africa feature also arrives as Lusanda prepares to enter a new phase of her artistic journey. Her recently released single, “By The Time I Wake Up,” serves as an introduction to her forthcoming EP of the same name, scheduled for release on 11 September 2026. Speaking about the impact of the programme on her career, Lusanda highlighted the tangible opportunities EQUAL has created for her, particularly in live performance and recording.
She reflected on how the initiative contributed to some of her earliest major career moments, including her first full performances in Johannesburg and the opportunity to record a Spotify Singles release. For Lusanda, the experience also demonstrates the importance of industry programmes that provide women artists with practical resources and opportunities rather than visibility alone.
With her EQUAL Africa spotlight coinciding with the release of her new EP, Lusanda enters September with both a growing international audience and a developing body of work that further establishes her artistic direction.
INTERVIEW WITH SPOTIFY AFRICA
What is one surprising thing your fans might not know about you?
Only a handful of day ones know this, but I once took part in Idols SA. Crazy, right! I’ve
always wanted this. Obviously, it’s a lifetime ago. It was a time, and a story I’ll unpack on
another day 🙂
When did you realise music was your destiny, and what is your WHY?
It has never felt like a single moment. Music was always all around me at home. We sang all the time, and I did every type of choir every year in high school. I think doing covers on TikTok nudged me toward this as a career. It came so naturally that it felt undeniable.
My why is simple. I write from real experience, and I want people to feel less alone because of it. If one of my songs helps someone through something, that’s the whole reason I do this. It helps especially with things they’ve never been able to articulate.
Which African artists did you grow up listening to?
Moneoa, Joyous Celebration, Bucie, Lira, Shekhinah, Thandiswa Mazwai, Simphiwe Dana, Freshlyground and Amanda Black.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing it for the first time?
Earnest, piercing, melodic. There’s a lot of affirmation, a lot of honesty about love and
ambiguity and being in one’s own head and clarity. There’s quite a bit of yearning too. I love
love in every sense. It’s soulful, and it’s meant to feel like healing, even when the subject
matter is heavy.
What advice would you give to someone afraid to follow their dreams?
I said it best in my song Progress: “Growing a garden starts with a seed.” The insecurity
doesn’t actually go away when you’re “ready”. And that just means you care about the result.
That’s a good thing. You have to master that feeling. Start before you feel ready. The skill
catches up, and the rest becomes history if you keep going.
How do you navigate the music space as a woman, and how does that shape your
artistry?
I would choose being a woman in every lifetime. As an artist or otherwise. From the way we
lead, the friendships we have, our intuition, and how we protect what we love. It’s the only
perspective I know, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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