The legendary musician reflects on his career, working with Brenda Fassie and why he chose to reimagine Sbale with a message against gender-based violence.
By Mapaballo Borotho
DJ Fresh and Thato were joined on the Kaya 959 Breakfast by legendary musician and producer Joe Nina, alongside Professor and producer Ivan Curtis, to discuss revisiting the 30-year-old hit Sbale.
Thirty years after it had the whole country singing along, Joe Nina’s Sbale is getting a 2026 makeover, and this time it’s not just about the groove.
The KwaThema-born musician has fused the original’s spirit with Amapiano, brought in Professor for new verses, and handed the production reins to Ivan Curtis.
But beneath the fresh sound is a serious call. Joe Nina is using this reimagined classic to speak directly to South Africa’s gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide crisis, urging the nation to protect its women and children.
This interview also comes at a crucial time as South Africa commemorates Women’s Month amid the ever-increasing violence against women and children.
“Ivan Curtis is actually the one who inspired me to do this new version of the song Sbale, with the very same message, which is also very relevant today because we are commemorating Women’s Month. The song will be released on Sunday, 09 August 2026, which is Women’s Day,” he said.
During his interview with the Kaya 959 Breakfast team, Nina revisited the early days of his career, how it began, what inspired his music, and reflected on some of the South African music legends he has worked with.
“The most difficult person I’ve ever worked with was Brenda Fassie,” he giggled.
“I was young, I was only 20 years old at the time, and to master the whole album we had to go all the way to the UK. It was my first trip out of the country, and Brenda Fassie was dancing on top of the chairs in the plane,” he said, adding that he could not call out the late music icon because he was much younger than her.
Nina also touched on the ongoing pandemic of GBV, which remains a serious challenge in South Africa. He said the new version of Sbale is his way of paying tribute to women and ensuring that the message lives on.
Listen to the podcast for the full conversation.
READ NEXT:
