Musician Thatohatsi, whose birth name is Thato Raphadi, has introduced the Thatohatsi Anti-Bullying Campaign across social media, aiming to help young people push back against online cruelty and rebuild their self-belief. She is calling on young people to join the initiative and help amplify its message.
Although the project is only beginning, it grew out of a deeply personal experience after Thatohatsi was mocked and body-shamed on the Piano Pulse podcast earlier this year.
She said the online backlash had a devastating effect on her wellbeing and self-image. At first, she attempted to answer her critics and defend herself publicly, but engaging with the discussion only caused the situation to intensify.
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Thatohatsi later understood that she could not allow other people’s judgments to define her. In her view, absorbing every opinion directed at her would only prevent anything positive from coming from the experience.
Her focus is now on encouraging children and young people to reject bullying, online pile-ons, needless pressure and conflict.
She urged social media users to remain focused on their ambitions, pursue what brings them joy and ignore distractions that do not enrich their lives. Her advice was to stop giving attention to people who contribute nothing constructive.
Supporters can follow the campaign across all social media platforms, helping to build its audience and spread greater awareness of its message.
At 22, Thatohatsi’s route into music has been shaped by several changes in direction. She initially hoped to become a fashion designer.
She later considered teaching, but after being turned down several times, she decided to take a chance on music and pursue the passion that mattered most to her.
Thatohatsi entered the music business as an independent performer, drawing on events from her own life when writing her songs.
Her track Xolele brought her music to listeners around the country and helped establish her as one of amapiano’s emerging names.
Since that breakthrough, she has worked with major artists and producers including Kelvin Momo, DJ Maphorisa, ShaunMusiQ and Major League DJZ.
She explained that many of her songs are drawn from experiences she has endured herself or witnessed in the lives of people close to her. Sometimes, she said, she writes about an event before it happens to her, allowing her to understand it through music when she later faces it personally.
WATCH: Amapiano star Thatohatsi has launched the Thatohatsi Anti-Bullying Campaign on social media, with the project designed to help young people confront online hate and recover their confidence. Still in its early phase, the campaign was inspired by the painful body-shaming she experienced.
Thatohatsi describes her musical identity as a combination of Afro-pop, soulful influences and amapiano. Her songwriting explores resilience, romance, women’s power and the process of healing.
Before gaining wider recognition, she performed at community gatherings, youth programmes and local showcases in Gauteng, using those appearances to form a direct connection with audiences who saw themselves in her experiences.
Her latest album places women at the centre of its story.
She recalled a period when her mother supported the household financially while her father was unemployed. That experience showed her that women are capable of keeping a family together, even during difficult circumstances.
For Thatohatsi, music has served as therapy as well as a calling, giving her a way to transform hardship into songs that can represent and encourage other people.
Her journey of forgiveness and healing
Thatohatsi said prayer carried her through difficult periods, while her faith remains fundamental to both her recovery and her creative work.
She encouraged people not to abandon prayer, saying it can open the way to everything they need. She also urged them to ask God for a sound mind, believing that faith can bring freedom from anxiety and depression. She added that seeking God and his kingdom brings righteousness, and said she considers it a blessing to know that, with God in her life, the opportunities and blessings she has received — as well as those still to come — are covered.
WATCH: During Nelson Mandela Month, Thatohatsi gave back to the Soshanguve community by spending her 67 minutes with children at Jehova Jira Orphanage in Block GG, where she interacted with them and took part in painting activities.
Thatohatsi described her Nelson Mandela Month visit to Jehova Jira Orphanage in Soshanguve, north of Tshwane, as another expression of her purpose.
She said sharing love is among her passions and that spending time with the children was deeply meaningful. Their warmth helped reconnect her with her identity and motivated her to do more. She noted that public figures can sometimes become distracted and forget that others look up to them, adding that few things are more rewarding than encouraging people and making a positive difference. She also called on artists and communities to support their local areas throughout the year, rather than limiting acts of service to July.
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