At just 23, Tumelo Mphai, better known as DJ Melzi, is already a platinum-selling artist, Luc Belaire and Bumbu Rum ambassador, and one of South Africa’s most in-demand DJs and producers. Known for his soulful amapiano sound and undeniable stage presence, the Pretoria-born star has taken his music from bedroom sets to global stages, cementing himself as one of the new wave’s leading voices.

Nicknamed “mudala” (old man) by his parents for his sharp instincts, Melzi discovered DJing at just six years old. While other children were glued to video games, he was spinning at weddings and birthdays. “It didn’t affect my school work,” he recalls. “For me, DJing was like football or gaming for other kids. It was my substitute hobby, but it became my passion.”

That passion led him to secretly enroll in a DJ school as a teenager, hustling clothes and side jobs to pay his own way. The school gave him technical training, under-18 gigs, and his first taste of performing alongside bigger names. A chance connection through his barber, who cut stars like Cassper Nyovest and Black Coffee, pulled him deeper into the industry.

“I started meeting people slowly, Major League, Kabza, Shimza. At first I was starstruck, but it gave me the inspiration to learn how to move, both on and off stage,” he says.

His breakout came with the release of 18 in 2020, a debut album that announced his arrival to a wider audience. From there, Melzi grew into a cultural force, balancing the life of a rising star with a computer science degree. His long-term vision is to create music production software, launch DJ academies across South Africa, and build platforms for underprivileged youth to access creativity and opportunity.

When we meet in London, Melzi is in the UK for shows, networking, and recording. “The UK is diverse, it’s easy to blend in,” he says. But adapting his sound for new audiences has been a learning curve. “Back home, amapiano songs can be nine or ten minutes long. You have to let them build, it’s a journey. Here, they want songs cut to three minutes. It frustrated me at first, but it taught me how to make music that’s both universal and true to myself.”

Our conversation turns to the TikTok-ification of music, and the way hype culture is reshaping DJing. “Today, promoters often book DJs for their following, not their talent. That kills the ecosystem,” he says candidly. Still, he views amapiano’s global rise as a blessing. “Other communities jumping on the sound is what makes it travel. Music is art, you can’t police it. As long as there’s credit, it’s growth.”

Beyond music, Melzi has become a cultural tastemaker. Premium brands like Bumbu Rum and Luc Belaire have tapped him as an ambassador, recognizing the value of aligning global identity with South Africa’s new wave of talent.

And his next move promises to expand his reach even further: a forthcoming single with Nigerian star Alpha P and British singer Donel. Blending amapiano, Afrobeats, and UK soul, the collaboration is set to drop at the end of August.

For the young artist who once snuck out of boarding school to chase his dream, this is only the beginning. “Music is art,” he says, reflecting on advice for the next generation. “There’s no right or wrong way. Do your nonsense, believe in yourself, and be patient. You never know when it will be your day.”

Watch the full interview with DJ Melzi on The Southern African Times YouTube channel.