Tinotenda Singe, with his distinctive voice and captivating style, has created a unique sound that sets him apart in the Afrikaans music industry.
Tino’s music has already been embraced by fans around the world, and his talent is widely recognized.
Tino had no ambition to become a musician after moving with his parents from Zimbabwe to South Africa, but now the 21-year-old is singing his way to fame — in Afrikaans.

Tino followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, aiming for a career in agriculture. He says his Afrikaans-speaking friends made a big impression on him and he “fell in love with their culture”.

He arrived in South Africa 15 years ago, and played rugby growing up in Swellendam in the Western Cape. Now he is studying agriculture at Stellenbosch University and recording chart-topping songs played on Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) in South Africa.

TiNO — his stage name — got into the groove at 19 after taking up the guitar. Dieter Sullwald, a friend, helped him to write his first single, Afstand (Distance).

“I would say it’s something that happened by accident, but at the same time it’s God’s grace,” said Tino. “It wasn’t my intention to go into the music industry. But when I got my first guitar I started playing and humming. I didn’t know that I was actually going to get addicted.”

His 10-song album, Sterrekind (Starchild), was released in November 2021. “We recorded 10 songs in one week, which was quite hectic,” he said. He likened music producer Tertius Human to a “magician” who put him at ease in the studio.

Tino’s songs resonated with listeners and Afstand shot to number one on RSG. “I didn’t know what to expect but people love it [Sterrekind]. It has motivated me to write more songs.”

Tino’s mother, Jane, said: “We are so proud of him. We might not understand Afrikaans, but music is a language on its own and we can feel it.”