Sol Phenduka | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Solomzi Thandubuntu Phenduka |
| Born | February 18, 1987 Vosloorus, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Genres | Deep house, electro house, Tribal House, Afro Beat, Nu Jazz, Afro dub |
| Occupation(s) | radio personality, music DJ, podcaster |
| Instrument | music sequencer, |
| Years active | 2008 –present |
Solomzi Thandubuntu Phenduka (18 February 1987) is a South African radio personality, music DJ and podcaster. A reality TV star contested on Big Brother Mzansi season 1, he is professionally known as Sol Phenduka. [1]
Phenduka was born in Vosloorus and raised by a single mother. He attended St Francis College in Benoni, matriculating in 2006 and later receiving a Bachelor's degree from the University of Johannesburg. [2] [3] [4] His music interest began at an early age as a rapper.
Phenduka began his broadcasting career as an intern at YFM in 2008, later securing on-air roles and contributing to youth-targeted programming. He subsequently worked on breakfast radio shows, including a period on 5FM where he contributed to the Fresh at 5 / DJ Fresh programming team. Over the years he has presented on several national stations and occupied high-profile morning show slots. [5] [6] [7]
In 2022 Phenduka joined Kaya 959 as co-host of the breakfast show with Dineo Ranaka. In August 2025 Kaya FM announced that Phenduka had been suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of an internal process; the station said it was committed to due process and would not release further details until the investigation concluded. [8] [9]
Phenduka was a housemate and finalist on Big Brother Mzansi (season 1), which increased his national profile and helped broaden his media opportunities. [10]
Phenduka has been a regular contributor and co-host on Podcast and Chill with MacG, along side Macgyver Mukwevho, a leading African podcast and web series; episodes featuring him have attracted large online audiences and contributed to his profile as a media personality. The podcast is broadcast on YouTube. [11] [12]
Phenduka is also a recording artist and music producer. Phenduka has released two singles in 2010 and 2011, [13] and an album in 2012. [4] [14] [15] He was also part of the contestants on Big Brother Mzansi in 2014.
He has released at least one self-titled album, Sol Phenduka, (released on major streaming platforms) and several singles and remixes, including the tracks "Uhuru" and later remix projects; his music is available on streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify. [16] [17]
In August 2025, Kaya 959 announced that Phenduka had been suspended pending an internal investigation; the station confirmed the suspension and said it would follow due process, but did not publish further details while the investigation was underway. [18] [19]
This was not the first suspension in Phenduka’s broadcasting career. In January 2015 he was suspended by the national youth station 5FM (along with a producer/colleague) after making remarks on air about the Van Breda family murders that were judged offensive; management removed the feature segment and imposed a short suspension while they investigated and dealt with the matter. [20] [21] [22]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | |||||||
| "Diqabang" (Khathapillar, Sol Phenduka, Smash SA featuring Kamoh Xaba) | 2024 | 2 [23] | Non-album single | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||