Zoë Modiga, South Africa’s most exciting singer and songwriter who holds the audience in the palm of her hand when she performs, seems to be just about everywhere at the moment. She has a knack for pulling off impressive stage outfits and her style speaks for itself, both on and off the stage.
Earlier this month, she performed at the festival for an awestruck audience at the base of the Swartberg Pass near Prince Albert. Around 120 people gathered for the outdoor performance, seated on simple chairs in a dramatic, open mountain setting. They watched as Modiga opened her set with a brief introduction: “This evening I just wanted to be human with you.”
The performance took place at the base of the world famous pass, with minimal staging — the mountain sides formed a natural cathedral — but this time the scenery had to compete with Modiga’s celebrated stage presence. A keyboard and guitar accompanied her vocals, while the setting sun and rising full moon provided the visual backdrop. The simplicity of the environment was a deliberate choice.
“I feel most connected in nature, most like myself,” Modiga said. “So, with this landscape, it allowed me to express myself more freely.”
Modiga has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s leading contemporary jazz and soul vocalists. A graduate of the University of Cape Town, she first gained recognition with her debut album Yellow: The Novel (2017), followed by Inganekwane (2020), both of which earned critical acclaim for their blend of jazz, soul and African storytelling traditions. Her work often centres on themes of identity, spirituality and heritage. She’s performed at major festivals locally and internationally, steadily expanding her reach as a live performer.
She opened her set with Nomthandazo (Mother of Prayer), a song that explores themes of ancestry, spirituality and feminine identity. The performance carried clearly across the open space, with the setting contributing to the atmosphere rather than competing with it. “It speaks about divine feminine energy, nature, creation, lineage and ancestry,” she explained, noting that performing in nature reinforced the meaning of the piece.
The concert formed part of the annual Journey to Jazz festival, now in its fourth year. It has established a reputation for focusing on intimate, audience-centred performances rather than large-scale productions. The Friday night setting reflected that approach, with the landscape shaping the experience. As the full moon rose during the performance, the tone of the set shifted. Modiga described the experience as immersive: “I felt recharged. It was, for much of the evening, a kind of musical trance.”
Her set moved between themes of memory, identity, and personal growth. At one point, she introduced a song she’d written at the age of 12, which she has incorporated into her more recent work. The track focused on self-awareness and maintaining a clear sense of identity — a theme that continues to inform her evolving practice as she develops new material and extends her presence on both local and international stages.
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