Artist profile
About
DJ Kabila is the stage name of South African DJ, producer and cultural organiser Siyanda Makanya. Raised in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and associated with Durban and Johannesburg, Makanya has been active since the late 1990s, first learning to shape dance floors with the equipment available at the time and later carrying that instinct into digital performance. His sound sits in the soulful, deep and Afro-house/Afro-tech continuum: percussion and low-end carry the groove, while melodic and spiritual elements keep the music open and communal. Kabila’s productions include the album A New Dawn, the Somnyama project with Wendy Soni, Bayede with Victor Sithole, Suka with Madala Kunene and 104 BPM, and collaborations with Makhanj, MXO, Eves Manxeba and other South African vocalists. The 2025 single Isimanga and 2026 The Light EP extend the same approach through warm keys, rolling bass and vocal-led storytelling. His catalogue appears through Musiq Soldier Entertainment, the label he founded, and related releases on MoBlack and other dance imprints. He also created Music Will Save the Day, a platform for shows, workshops and mentorship that links DJ culture with community, learning and social purpose. Interviews describe a selector who values taste, timing and taking listeners on a journey over equipment fashion; that philosophy connects his club sets to his studio work. He has played in South Africa and internationally, including appearances in Miami, Greece, New York and Ibiza, and has shared bills or collaborations with artists such as Black Coffee, Culoe De Song, Caiiro, FNX Omar, Lemon & Herb and Madala Kunene. Kabila’s practice combines Afro-tech drive with soulful house feeling, and his work consistently treats rhythm as a tool for connection, resilience and collective movement.