Arthur Mafokate, often called “the King of Kwaito,” is a South African musician, songwriter, and producer. He made his mark in 1994 with his debut album Windy Windy, which featured the hit song Amagents Ayaphanda. Over the years, he solidified his reputation with hit singles like Kaffir, Oyi Oyi, Mnike, Twalatza, Zombo, Koti Koti, Poppe Dans, Seven Phezulu, and Sika Lekhekhe.

With a career spanning over two decades, Arthur is one of South Africa’s pioneering Kwaito artists. Beyond his music, he is also a producer and the founder of 999 Music, a record label named after his family’s house number.

Arthur’s Background History

Sello Arthur Mafokate was born on July 10, 1969, in Soweto, Gauteng. Now 56 years old, he is the son of Olympic equestrian and philanthropist Enos Mafokate and the brother of the late kwaito star Oupa Makhendlas Mafokate. His family later moved to Midrand, where he was raised by his grandmother due to his father’s frequent work-related absences and his mother’s limited involvement.

As a child, Arthur took piano lessons and had a strong interest in soccer, dance, and music. He started dancing at the age of 10 and by 16, he was a backup dancer for some of South Africa’s biggest artists, including Brenda Fassie and Johnny Mokhali.

In 1992, he won the title of Mr. Soweto as a model. He also worked as a music producer and sound engineer for several well-known South African artists. Before launching his solo career, he was part of several music groups, including Out of Control, Q-Face, Heaven, Twin Prestige, and Helela.

Arthur’s breakthrough as a kwaito artist came in 1994 with the release of his album Windy Windy under CCP Records, featuring hit tracks Ayaphanda and Where’s The Bass.

Career

In 1995, Arthur Mafokate released Kaffir, the first major kwaito hit, from his self-titled EP. The song, which sold over 500,000 copies, reflected the new freedoms that came with South Africa’s political transition in 1994, including the country’s first democratic elections. The title references a racial slur historically used against Black South Africans.

Mafokate introduced dance styles such as twalatsa and qopetsa and co-founded his record label, 999, alongside Joe Nina. Under the name Bambezela, he released Blenda Fashion (1994) and Zama Zama Yo! (1995) before adopting the stage name Arthur. As a mixer and sound engineer, he was also known as Mix Maestro. His label 999 signed several notable artists, including Hip Hop Pantsula, Zombo, and Lira.

In 1998, his hit Oyi Oyi won Song of the Year at the South African Music Awards (SAMA), making him the first artist to win the public-voted category. He also hosted the television show Ezimtoti in 2001.

Mafokate’s contributions to music earned him recognition at the 2007 FNB South African Music Awards. In 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the South African Metro FM Music Awards. More recently, in 2021, his song Hlokoloza was nominated for Best Kwaito Song at the Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards.

Personal Life

Arthur Mafokate has never been married but is a father to four children from three different relationships. His eldest son, Arthur Mafokate Jr., was born in 1994. In 2000, he welcomed his daughter, Owami Mafokate, from his relationship with Queen Iyaya Sesoko. His younger daughters, Kelello Mafokate and Onalenna Mafokate, were born in 2006 and 2010, respectively, from his relationship with Busisiwe Cici Thwala.

Controversies

In 2017, Cici, who was then Arthur Mafokate’s partner and signed to his label, accused him of physical abuse while they were living together. She sustained serious injuries that required hospital treatment. Mafokate was arrested and later released on bail. After Cici shared images of her injuries, public backlash led to the cancellation of the 100MenMarch, an event aimed at raising awareness about gender-based violence. Mafokate denied the allegations and was found not guilty by the Midrand Magistrate’s Court in 2019.

In 2019, after being removed from the board of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), Mafokate was sued by SAMRO for unlawful enrichment. The lawsuit alleged that he and other executives had overpaid themselves by more than R1.6 million, with Mafokate himself reportedly receiving an irregular payment of R84,000. SAMRO later became embroiled in a scandal involving the underpayment of royalties to artists, much of which occurred during his tenure.

On January 13, 2023, Mafokate was implicated in the misappropriation of R56 million in community development funds from the National Lotteries Commission. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) obtained a preservation order to freeze several properties linked to the alleged corruption, including a plot, a farm, and three luxury properties valued at R53 million, one of which belonged to Mafokate.

Albums

1992 – A.S.K

1993 – Koning Arthur

1994 – Windy Windy

1994 – Scamtho

1995 – Kaffir

1997 – Arthur and Family: Making Music, Vol. 1 Arthur, Carl Kurtyka, Christine Hallett

1997 – Oyi Oyi

1998 – Dreams and Images

1998 – Chomi

1999 – Umpostoli

2000 – Mnike

2000 – Keizer Arthur Den Tweede

2001 – One More Night With the Frogs

2001 – Seven Phezulu 

2002 – Haai Bo

2003 – Skulvyt

2004 – Crossing Over

2004 – Mamarela

2004 – Diamond Collection

2005 – Sika

2006 – Hymns & More

2006 – The Best of 1996 – Die Poppe Sal Dans

2006 – The Best of Remixes

2006 – Vanilla & Chocolate

2006 – Continuous Praise

2007 – Dakie

2007 – Round 1

2008 – 2008 Club Mixes

2008 – Kwaito Meets House

2010 – Watch The Years Crawl

2011 – Hlokoloza

2013 – Kommander

2016 – The Complete Anthology 1970-1975

2017 – Every Now and Then

2018 – Woof Woof 

2018 – Fragments

2018 – Brighton

2019 – Composites

2019 – Shorts

2020 – Mid Autumn Festival

2020 – Hair of the Dog

2020 – Songbirth

2020 – Tales From  The Void

2020 – Shorts Too

2020 – Young Goat

2021 – Love Is Still Dead

2021 – Shorts C

2021 – Hope

2021 – Le Top 30 (Remasterise)

2021 – Buffalo

2021 – Medieval

2021 – So Close to You/Reincarnation

2022 – Mozaic

2022 – VRCHOL KATEDRAL

2023 – MZC

2023 – Growth

2023 – The Journey So Far

2024 – TRES REYES

2024 – Can I Still Love?

2024 – Arthur

2024 – Bellaquita

2024 – GALERIA MUZ