By Gavin Gaka
Thembisa Dube is a 19-year-old songbird, with a voice that can melt even the most troubled
of hearts. A girl with a fierce sparkle in her eye and a spirit to match.
The Zimbawean-born artist is the oldest of her two brothers. Her mother came to South
Africa to unite the family and settled in Makhanda in 2008. Having come to Makhanda at a
young age, she has grown to love being here and considers it her second home.
“Thembie,” as she is affectionately known, fell in love with music in her primary years by singing along to her favourite songs. She says, “Singing is something I feel and then do.” and adds, “It happens by itself, and I like how spontaneous it is.” One day her father jokingly teased her for “not being able to sing,” which ignited a fire in her. She developed her voice into this rich and powerful force with unwavering determination.
She is taking a gap year as she plans to continue her studies the following year. Although this passion has become a big part of her life, Thembie does have ambitions to get into university. She hopes to one-day study Psychology and Geography. Her parents strongly advocated for the decision to finish school before anything else as they made her understand the value of education.
Thembie hopes to participate in more competitions, secure more performances, keep her star growing, and improve her ability. So far, she has released only one original song, “Matchmaker,” about how love never finds her. Many people enjoy her enchanting melodies, with her strong voice being the bedrock of the song’s emotion.
With a personality and potential like hers, her limit is only how far she is willing to go, just
like everyone else. However, the difference is, Thembie is excitedly working toward this
future with bravery and hope.
