SA Rap Star Kwesta Drops New Single on His Birthday ft. YoungstaCPT

Kwesta never turned “Reporting Live From Katlehong” into an album rollout. It came out on his birthday in 2019 as a surprise single, and his next full album, g.o.d Guluva, followed on 30 April 2021. The Big Bro Theory came out on 9 May 2025. In 2026 he and Spotify marked ten years of DaKAR II, and he has kept up a steady run of singles, the latest being “Ngiyaz’fela” on 4 September 2026. YoungstaCPT, his guest on the track, released the mixtape Worldwide Wynberg in mid-2026.

Kwesta’s birthday single with YoungstaCPT

Johannesburg, South Africa. On Sunday 11 August 2019, Kwesta turned 31 and marked the day with a surprise single. Many fans call him the king of African rap. The song, Reporting Live From Katlehong, features YoungstaCPT, one of Cape Town’s top rappers.

The title points to Kwesta’s home. He was born Senzo Mfundo Vilakazi in Katlehong, a township in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, that locals call “K1”. He went to school there before leaving at 16 to pursue music full time.

What Kwesta raps about

Kwesta’s verse is a self-portrait. He says his head is still wrapped up in rap “like a turban,” calls himself an observer who keeps learning, and says rivals’ shots only prove he is a threat. The best-known line is a pun on his name. He says “Kwesta” is an adjective, not a name, and that everyone is trying to “Kwesta the game.” The joke works because his name sounds like “question,” so rivals are trying to question his place.

OkayAfrica’s write-up noted that his verse also covers the Marikana massacre, family, friendship and his marriage. The outlet said Kwesta had not rapped like this on one of his own singles in a while.

A song with no hook

The song breaks the usual rules in both shape and content. It has no chorus and no sample to sing along to, just verse after verse. Rick Ross’s long album intros on Deeper Than Rap (2009) and Teflon Don (2010) give you a sense of how Kwesta built it.

YoungstaCPT makes the record stronger. He brings the sound and slang of the Cape Flats and talks about his rise, being overlooked, and the gang violence around him in Cape Town. He also describes how hard it is to break into South African hip hop from outside Johannesburg. That point carried weight in 2019, the year he released his debut album 3T (Things Take Time) and won at the South African Hip Hop Awards.

Where to stream it

Sony Music South Africa handled the 2019 release through this smart link to the streaming stores:

https://SonyMusicSouthAfrica.lnk.to/KYRLFK

The song is also listed on Kwesta’s artist pages on the major streaming services.

Follow Kwesta

When the single came out, Kwesta’s accounts were @KwestaDaKar on TWITTER (now X), Kwesta on FACEBOOK and @KwestaDaKar on INSTAGRAM.

What came next for Kwesta

The single came between his two biggest eras. DaKAR II came out on 26 February 2016 and made him the big winner at the 2017 South African Music Awards. Its success also set expectations for everything that followed.

The anniversary shows why DaKAR II still shapes his career. Spotify reported 51.8 million streams for the album on its platform. Listeners aged 18 to 24 made up nearly 40% of its audience, and 2025 was its biggest streaming year so far.

FAQ

When did Kwesta release “Reporting Live From Katlehong”?

He released it on Sunday 11 August 2019, his 31st birthday. It arrived as a surprise single with YoungstaCPT as the only guest. Sony Music South Africa handled the release.

What does the song’s title mean?

Katlehong is the Gauteng township where Kwesta was born and went to school. The title casts him as a reporter giving a live update from home. In the verses he covers his career, his family and South African events such as the Marikana massacre.

What does “Kwesta the game” mean?

It is a pun on his name, which sounds like the word “question.” He means that rivals keep trying to question his place at the top of South African rap. The line before it plays on the same idea by calling his name an adjective.

Who is YoungstaCPT?

YoungstaCPT is a rapper from Cape Town known for putting Cape Flats slang and stories into his music. His debut album 3T (Things Take Time) came out in 2019, the same year as this collaboration. In 2026 he released Worldwide Wynberg, a mixtape made with New York producer Cartune Beatz.

Has Kwesta released an album since this single?

Yes, two. g.o.d Guluva came out on 30 April 2021 and The Big Bro Theory on 9 May 2025. Since then he has focused on singles, including “Ngiyaz’fela” on 4 September 2026.

Is Kwesta touring in 2026?

As of November 2026, no Kwesta tour has been announced. His 2026 activity so far has been singles, guest features and the DaKAR II anniversary event. Check his official social accounts for new dates.

Sources

• OkayAfrica: Listen to a New Song by Kwesta and YoungstaCPT
• Wikipedia: Kwesta (biography and discography)
• Music in Africa: Kwesta artist profile
• Spotify Newsroom: Ten Years On, South African Hip-Hop Artist Kwesta Reflects on “DaKAR II” (6 March 2026)
• HYPE Magazine: Spotify celebrates 10 years of Kwesta’s DaKAR II
• OkayAfrica: Kwesta’s New Album “g.o.d Guluva” Is Finally Here
• Daily News (IOL): Kwesta drops “The Big Bro Theory”, a powerful tribute to his artistic journey
• Music in Africa: SA: Lordkez teams up with Kwesta on new single “4SHO”
• Apple Music: Kwesta artist page
• HYPE Magazine: YoungstaCPT Takes Wynberg to the World on Worldwide Wynberg