New Zealand singer Teeks ended his debut South African tour with an emotional Johannesburg performance at Parklife Festival, where he was welcomed by thousands of fans and a star-studded lineup featuring Nasty C, Elaine, Six60 and more. The crowd’s response was so powerful that the “First Time” artist admitted he wished he had visited South Africa much earlier.
The festival took place at Marks Park in Emmarentia on Sunday, 30 August, as Johannesburg residents arrived with picnic blankets and camping chairs to enjoy the warmer weather. From Rowlene’s opening set onward, the atmosphere remained electric, with performances from Canada’s Neon Dreams, South African acts Matthew Mole and Will Linley, rapper Nasty C and R&B singer Elaine. International performers Six60 and Good Neighbours appeared before Teeks came onstage, just two minutes ahead of his scheduled time.
Although the festival featured a broad mix of artists, it was clear that many of the thousands in attendance had come specifically to see Teeks. He immediately made an impression by opening with Oil and Water. When he paused to greet the audience before the next song, the applause and shouting were so intense that he struggled to say anything.
He tried asking whether everyone was feeling good, introduced himself and described the performance as his first in both South Africa and Johannesburg. After four brief sentences, he realised that stopping between remarks only encouraged louder screams, so he changed tactics and delivered a longer message without pausing.
Teeks managed to tell the audience that, from the moment he and his team arrived in South Africa, they had been met with warmth, kindness, generosity and a feeling of home. He thanked the crowd repeatedly, saying their presence meant everything to him.
Johannesburg was the singer’s third South African concert, following shows in Cape Town and Durban. Fans in the first two cities had noticed that Remember Me was absent from his set and took to social media to ask him not to leave it out again in Joburg. Their campaign worked: Teeks explained that he had initially hesitated because he did not know how much his South African audience loved the song or whether they would choose it over his other material, then added it to the Johannesburg set.
The audience had been singing along throughout the performance, but during Remember Me and First Time, the fans effectively took over as Teeks’ backing vocalists. They delivered every lyric and even recreated the instrumental sections, leaving the singer visibly moved by the scale of their affection. Footage from the Johannesburg appearance was credited to Chrizelda Kenana and circulated with tags including #Teeks and #RememberMe.
The hour-long set passed quickly and included popular tracks such as Into You and Through It All, alongside newer songs Red Light and My Boy. Teeks also introduced another unreleased song, telling fans that it is expected to appear on his forthcoming album.
At several points, the singer appeared overwhelmed by the noise and the warmth in the park. One particularly awkward exchange came just before he began Waves, when the audience started chanting, “Teeks, we want to party!” Knowing that the upcoming track is one of his slowest, he gently explained that the celebration would continue later.
The chant is a familiar one at South African concerts and can mean more than a literal request to dance: fans may use it to show that they are enjoying the performance and want the artist to keep going. The reason behind the crowd’s repeated cries of “Yiyo!” was less obvious to outsiders, although the expression loosely means “that’s the one.” Social clips from the event also captured a playful moment involving Teeks, Elaine and Nasty C, shared with tags such as #parklivejozi and #fyp.
Before performing Waves, Teeks explained that his love of the ocean inspired the track and that he shaped it like a lullaby. For him, the song brings back memories of a simpler period spent near the sea.
He then paused to thank South Africa for embracing a song that has become closely associated with TikTok meet-cute videos, wedding content and aisle walks. Visibly emotional, Teeks said he had never experienced a response like this. He also noted that five years had passed since his last album, yet fans were still supporting him, adding that he appreciated them and recognised their loyalty.
Hours after the concert, the singer reflected on the night on Instagram with a heartfelt message: “South Africa, you have my heart.”
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