South Africans love their music, and are always on the lookout for an excuse to plan a party, event, or kuier where they can blast the best of South African Singers over the speakers and dance, drink and talk the night away.
They especially love sokkie, and every youth knows this dance by heart by the time they hit college. A fast-paced, ever-evolving, unpredictable and highly instinctual dance, the moves keep you light on your toes and flour is often thrown over the floor or sokkies (socks) worn to minimise friction.
Elizma Theron
A blonde beauty, Elizma Theron was born in the small town of Bethlehem, Free State, in 1983. She was homeschooled during her high school years, during which she also modeled in Greece and Italy. After graduating from High School Kalahari in Kuruman, Northern Cape, she founded a culture school there to offer singing, modeling, and dancing classes.
She released her debut album, Lapaside, in 2005, marking the official start of her singing career. Since then, she’s released another six albums and won 2 South African Music Awards (SAMAS).
A failsafe option for sokkie music, Theron’s songs heat up the dance floor. These include Man So Na My Hart (“Man Of My Heart”) and Kom Ons Vat ‘n Kans (“Let’s Take A Chance”), which she recorded with Nicholis Louw.
Kurt Darren
Kurt Johan van Heerden, known by his stage name Kurt Darren, is a South African singer, songwriter, and TV presenter. He’s won a whopping 7 SAMAS from 2007-2011. Even while he celebrates his 54th birthday this year, his music is by no means outdated! They still blast at braais (BBQs), kuiers (get togethers), dances, sporting events, and on road trip playlists.
Many of his Afrikaans songs are known in Europe through cover versions. His Dutch covered songs include Staan op (Sta Op, Jan Smit), Meisie Meisie (Meissie Meissie, Henk Wijngaard and Meisie Meisie, Klostertaler [German]), Kaptein Span die Seile (Kap’tein, Bart Kaëll and Chantal, Mickie Krause [German]), Af en Af (Af en af, Helenmaal Hollands).
Brendan Peyper
Born in 1996, this South African singer-songwriter sensation is a sokkie-music legend. His music alights the hearts and feet of South Africans as they twist, turn, and flip across a floured floor. No matter your dancing skill, it’s impossible to say no when a hand is extended to you during one of Darren’s songs!
His debut album Stop, wag, bly nog ‘n bietjie (“Stop, wait, stay a little while”) was released in 2015, followed by Hy Loop Oop (“He Walks Open”) in 2017 and Insomnia in 2022. At 21 years, he has created a stockpile of all-time favourite hits.
Bonus, he’s complete eye candy! This sexy pop singer with his powerful voice and catchy lyrics was one of 12 finalists in the Cosmopolitan SA Sexiest Men 2018 competition!
Refentse Morake
Born in 1997 in the Gauteng city of Vereeniging, Refentse beat all odds when it came to his music career. For starters, he joined a primary school on scholarship while none of his family members spoke a lick of Afrikaans. But by being surrounded by Afrikaans speaking peers and listening to songs upon songs of Afrikaans music, Refentse became a master of both the language and the accent.
In 2015, he was playing a Bok van Blerk song, De La Rey, on the sidewalk after school. He attracted a small audience, and someone uploaded his performance onto Facebook. After four days, the video had over 160,000 views. In 2016, Karen Zoid helped him record his first album, My Hart Bly in ‘n Taal (“My Heart Lives in a Language”).
Being a young black male, he breaks racial boundaries through his music by writing and singing in Afrikaans. De La Rey, a song associated with the white Boer race in South Africa, was a glowing example of this. A pleasant, open, down-to-earth personality, Refentse makes friends wherever he goes.
His rich, smooth voice captures the ears of whoever listens and his talent is sure to take him far.
Elandré Schwartz
One of the younger singers, this upcoming shooting star headed straight for the clouds from the moment he released his debut album, Kleindorp-Dromer (“Small Town Dreamer”), in 2017. Born in 1995 in the Eastern Cape, he went on to study in Cape town at age 19. Initially, his big break was when he sang Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher than the Rest” on social media.
His albums bear testimony to his songwriting skills, deep Afrikaans roots, flexibility, diversity, and affinity for capturing both nostalgic moments and new dreams in lyrics and melodies. The first album reached gold in a mere three months, and his second roared all the way to multiplatinum status.
Indeed, the albums’ diversity has endeared his music to a wide audience. Moreover, his looks have endeared him to every teenage girl! To view his upcoming shows, or just to view him, visit his website or swing by on his social media.
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