{"id":1738,"date":"2026-06-10T12:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:42:36","slug":"unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With New Single Isikhwele After Two-Year Music Break"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Radio host and vocalist Unathi Nkayi is officially back in the spotlight after a two-year pause, unveiling her latest single, <i>Isikhwele<\/i>.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Unathi Nkayi returns to music with the release of the single <i>Isikhwele<\/i> after a two-year break.<\/li>\n<li>The track features kwaito icon Professor alongside emerging talent Meez.<\/li>\n<li>Unathi says the song delves into the emotional dynamics of jealousy in relationships.<\/li>\n<li>The accompanying video was creatively directed and executive produced by Unathi as a tribute to Soweto ahead of the June 16 commemorations.<\/li>\n<li>She is also preparing for her forthcoming album <i>African Love<\/i>, describing the era as a personal and artistic rebirth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>A jealousy-driven comeback with a story-first approach<\/h2>\n<p>On <i>Isikhwele<\/i>, Unathi teams up with Professor and Meez as she addresses the complicated feelings that can surface inside romantic partnerships\u2014especially jealousy. In speaking about the release, she highlighted how proud she is of the way she has developed creatively, noting the rapid pace of modern life shaped by technology and the \u201cfourth industrial revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unathi also explained that she didn\u2019t want to simply drop music and then move on to the next trend. She said she\u2019s built a reputation for sharing deeper narratives, and she wanted this project to mirror that storytelling identity.<\/p>\n<p>She added that she has admired Professor for years and saw <i>Isikhwele<\/i> as an opportunity to put out something meaningful before her full-length album arrives this spring. Unathi further revealed that she has partnered with Loud In Africa, describing it as a global digital gateway for her upcoming work\u2014one she says will help carry African stories to international audiences.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking about the visual side of the project, Unathi said she leaned into her experience from broadcasting. She wanted to communicate through film rather than just a performance clip, and she described shaping the release through her input on creative direction, the storyline, editing choices, and even styling. Her goal, she said, was to make it clear how her artistry has grown.<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cThe Isikhwele Series,\u201d Soweto tribute, and upcoming album<\/h2>\n<p><i>Isikhwele<\/i> arrives with a music video that Unathi creatively directed and executive produced. She framed the visual as a love letter to Soweto, timed for the month marking the June 16 uprising. For the larger rollout, she joined forces with photographer Nick Boulton to capture \u201cThe Isikhwele Series,\u201d presenting it as a visual extension of the single and its themes.<\/p>\n<p>The project, Unathi says, reflects both her personal healing and her creative evolution as she looks ahead to her forthcoming album <i>African Love<\/i>, which she describes as a creative rebirth.<\/p>\n<h2>Family loss and a period of creative regulation<\/h2>\n<p>Unathi\u2019s return carries extra emotional weight after a difficult chapter in her life. In December 2024, she publicly shared that her father, Sakhiwo Nkayi, had passed away. After the loss, she stepped back to focus on her family.<\/p>\n<p>She later said she hasn\u2019t been in a creative mindset for some time, explaining that the death of her father and her desire to prioritize her children led her to take time to \u201cregulate\u201d herself creatively\u2014before returning with a new era of music and visuals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Radio host and vocalist Unathi Nkayi is officially back in the spotlight after a two-year pause, unveiling her latest single, Isikhwele. Key takeaways Unathi Nkayi returns to music with the release of the single Isikhwele after a two-year break. The track features kwaito icon Professor alongside emerging talent Meez. Unathi says the song delves into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single & Professor","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-celebrities"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single &amp; Professor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single &amp; Professor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zalebs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZAlebs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"793\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"578\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Zalebs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Zalebs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\"},\"headline\":\"Unathi Nkayi Returns With New Single Isikhwele After Two-Year Music Break\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":529,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Celebrities\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/\",\"name\":\"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single & Professor\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp\",\"width\":793,\"height\":578},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Zalebs\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Unathi Nkayi Returns With New Single Isikhwele After Two-Year Music Break\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Zalebs\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Africa New Media Group\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/logo-new.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/logo-new.webp\",\"width\":350,\"height\":132,\"caption\":\"Africa New Media Group\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/ZAlebs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/Zalebs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/zalebs\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@ZalebsEntertainment\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\",\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\"},\"description\":\"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/za.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/zibuyile-dladla\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single & Professor","description":"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single & Professor","og_description":"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n","og_url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/","og_site_name":"Zalebs","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZAlebs","article_published_time":"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":793,"height":578,"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Zibuyile Dladla","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Zalebs","twitter_site":"@Zalebs","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Zibuyile Dladla","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/"},"author":{"name":"Zibuyile Dladla","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e"},"headline":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With New Single Isikhwele After Two-Year Music Break","datePublished":"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/"},"wordCount":529,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp","articleSection":["Celebrities"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/","name":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With Isikhwele Single & Professor","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-10T09:42:36+00:00","description":"Unathi Nkayi is back after two years with Isikhwele, featuring Professor and Meez\u2014she explains the song\u2019s jealous love story and n","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/proud-evolved-creatively-unathi-nkayi-24f4.webp","width":793,"height":578},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/unathi-nkayi-returns-with-new-single-isikhwele-after-two-year-music-break\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Zalebs","item":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Unathi Nkayi Returns With New Single Isikhwele After Two-Year Music Break"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/","name":"Zalebs","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#organization","name":"Africa New Media Group","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-new.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/logo-new.webp","width":350,"height":132,"caption":"Africa New Media Group"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ZAlebs","https:\/\/x.com\/Zalebs","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zalebs","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ZalebsEntertainment"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e","name":"Zibuyile Dladla","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Zibuyile Dladla"},"description":"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.","sameAs":["https:\/\/za.linkedin.com\/in\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a"],"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/author\/zibuyile-dladla\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}