Downtown Music Publishing Africa Welcomes Zanda Zakuza to Its Neighbouring Rights Roster
Award-winning singer, songwriter and performer joins Downtown Music Publishing Africa’s expanding Neighbouring Rights family.
Following the launch of our Neighbouring Rights service, Downtown Music Publishing Africa is proud to welcome celebrated South African artist Zanda Zakuza to our growing roster.
Known for her unmistakable voice, chart-topping collaborations and dynamic performances, Zanda’s career reflects the reach and influence of South African music. Through this partnership, Downtown Music Publishing Africa will administer her neighbouring rights, supporting the accurate registration, tracking and collection of eligible royalties when her recordings are used across relevant territories.
A Voice That Continues to Shape African Music
Born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Zanda Zakuza has spent more than a decade establishing herself as one of South Africa’s most recognisable Afro House and Afro-pop artists. A trained jazz and drama performer, her creative journey began long before the charts, with a passion for performance that has developed into a career spanning music, television, voice-over work and entrepreneurship.
Her breakthrough came with the hit single “Umvulo”, before she went on to release a catalogue of music that has resonated across Africa and beyond. Her debut album, Synthia (The Journey), introduced audiences to her signature sound through songs such as “Hamba” and “Hair to Toes”.
Later releases and collaborations, including “Skeleton Move”, “Club Controller”, “Khaya Lam”, “Boya Limpopo” and the viral “Left and Right”, further strengthened her profile as one of the country’s most distinctive vocalists.
Her work has earned industry recognition, including nominations at the All Africa Music Awards, while collaborations with artists such as Master KG, Makhadzi, Prince Benza and Mr Brown continue to demonstrate her versatility across the African music landscape.
Protecting Performance Rights That Matter
When a commercially released recording is broadcast on radio, used on television, played in public or made available through certain non-interactive services, performers and master-rightsholders may be entitled to neighbouring rights royalties.
Downtown Music Publishing Africa’s Neighbouring Rights service supports performers and rightsholders through repertoire registration, role and credit alignment, claims administration, royalty collection through relevant channels, and clearer reporting.
For an artist whose recordings receive broadcast and public-performance exposure across multiple markets, effective neighbouring rights administration can play an important role in identifying and collecting eligible income generated by those uses.
Building a Stronger Future for African Creators
Welcoming Zanda Zakuza reflects Downtown Music Publishing Africa’s continued commitment to providing rights-administration support that helps African creators manage and protect the value generated by their work.
As music travels across borders and platforms, neighbouring rights remain an important income stream for eligible performers and rightsholders. We are proud to support artists such as Zanda by helping to ensure that their repertoire is properly registered, monitored and claimed through relevant collection channels.
We look forward to supporting the next chapter of Zanda Zakuza’s career and helping her manage her neighbouring rights across Africa and internationally.
Interested in learning how Neighbouring Rights could work for you? Contact Downtown Music Publishing Africa to discuss how our team can support the registration, tracking and collection of eligible royalties across relevant territories.
