Dr Noma Mbeki, better known as Queen Noma, has joined forces with DJ Maphorisa and Nay Maps on Count Your Blessings, a new single urging young people to celebrate their achievements while making safer decisions.
The story’s audio version was created using artificial intelligence.
The track is part of Queen Noma’s Anti-Pens Down Campaign, which is set to launch on Friday in Mdantsane, East London.
Queen Noma said she wanted the song’s message to feel relatable rather than instructional, giving young listeners something enjoyable that also carries a valuable lesson.
Why the campaign matters
“Pens down” events, held by learners to mark the end of their exams, continue to raise safety concerns because of the dangers that can arise at some celebrations.
In June 2022, 21 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 died at Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park, East London.
The teenagers had gathered at the venue after completing their exams before collapsing inside. The deaths were linked to overcrowding, underage alcohol consumption and suffocation.
Queen Noma said the Enyobeni tragedy was a major reason she decided to use her public platform to encourage safer ways for young people to celebrate.
“The Enyobeni tragedy affected me profoundly because those were children who had their entire futures in front of them,” she said. “It is heartbreaking to imagine young people leaving home to celebrate and never returning to their families.”
Although the lives lost cannot be restored, she said their memories could inspire efforts to safeguard the next generation.
The campaign is not intended to take celebrations away from young people. Instead, it aims to help them enjoy important milestones without putting themselves in danger.
Queen Noma described Count Your Blessings as a song about gratitude, reflecting on how far young people have travelled and acknowledging the possibilities ahead of them.
She also praised the collaboration with DJ Maphorisa and Nay Maps, calling the creative process a beautiful experience. Each artist, she said, contributed a distinct quality that gives the song its special character.
