SAMA-nominated singer Ndu Shezi is returning with Gugu Lami, a deeply personal declaration that she is spiritually rich, while embracing a more obedient, worship-led approach to music and the Zulu sounds that shaped her.
- Ndu Shezi describes Gugu Lami as her personal testimony about God being a faithful friend.
- The Durban-born artist says her music now comes from obedience rather than simply from a desire to entertain.
- Her first album, Isibusiso Sami, received a SAMA nomination.
The new release gives Shezi a different definition of wealth. In Gugu Lami, whose title means “my treasure”, she sings, “Awu yebo ngicebile” — “Oh yes, I am rich.”
She is not referring to financial success, celebrity status or trophies.
“KuWena ngicebile. I have everything I need in Him,” Shezi says, explaining that the conviction is rooted in what she has personally experienced.
She says the lyric “awufani nabantu ungumhlobo wenene” — “You are unlike people; You are a true friend” — reflects her experience of God as someone who remains closer than a brother.
The isiZulu phrase can broadly be understood as a declaration that God is different from people and is a genuine friend.
A song she had to sing alone
Gugu Lami comes after her 2024 release Ngowakho, which featured Ndabo Zulu. This latest track deliberately has no guest vocalist.
Shezi says the absence of collaborators was important because the song represents her own testimony. While she does not believe features prevent an artist from expressing themselves, she wanted this particular message to stand entirely in her own voice.
The song’s main statement was influenced by another worship track.
Shezi says the phrase draws inspiration from Kanye Nawe, which includes the words “Ngicebile hhe kakhulu mawukimi Nkosi yami” — essentially, “I am truly rich when You are with me, my God.” Her own message follows the same idea: “KuWena ngicebile.”
The lyric “Kuwena ngiyazimela”, meaning that she can lean on and rest in God, also reveals where she draws her strength.
For Shezi, the line refers to relying on Christ as the solid rock and on God as the one dependable foundation.
Obedience over entertainment
Shezi has consistently spoken about her musical gift as an anointing rather than merely a skill. She distinguishes between performing to entertain and singing as an act of worship.
She says working from obedience carries greater depth than simply entertaining an audience. Because she is capable of doing both, she is learning to surrender completely, trusting God to handle the rest. Her focus, she adds, is less on influence and more on the lasting effect her music leaves on people.
From Ngthanda Wena to the SAMAs
Shezi first reached South African audiences with her debut single, Ngthanda Wena, released in 2018. Her first album, Isibusiso Sami, subsequently brought her a nomination for Best African Adult Contemporary Album at the South African Music Awards.
A related feature follows DJ Shimza’s journey from Tembisa to Ibiza, including his work as an international headliner, his performances on worldwide stages and his commitment to his roots.
Reflecting on her career, Shezi says she can clearly hear how much she has developed.
She describes substantial progress in both her voice and her musicianship, adding that the rooms she has entered and the people whose perspectives she has encountered have strongly shaped her evolution as an artist.
Echoes from the hills of KZN
Shezi grew up in a family where music and singing were woven into daily life. As she has matured, she says, she has gained a deeper respect for where she comes from.
She explains that young people do not always recognise the importance of tradition, but growing older can reveal the value of the elements that form one’s identity and distinguish one from others. Her story, upbringing and history are central to that identity. Proud to be umZulu, she fully embraces the sounds rising from the hills of KwaZulu-Natal, a heritage that can be heard in songs such as Dumazile from her debut album.
Her ideal collaborators — Thandiswa Mazwai, Sjava and Langa Mavuso — also draw on a strong connection to language and cultural spirit.
Shezi admires all three not only as singers and performers, but as storytellers. Having had the opportunity to contribute to their projects, she calls them exceptional and says she hopes to work with them in a collaboration where they can tell a story together.
Gugu Lami was produced by Shezi with Junior Petja and Sphiwe Moloi, and is now available across all major streaming services.
A separate feature marks 25 years of Iya Iyo, with Judith Sephuma discussing her decision to let men who grew up listening to her music reinterpret the song.
