2026 marks 20 years of Zu. as a songwriter and composer — two decades of intentional artistry rooted in healing, storytelling, and sonic evolution. This milestone year is anchored by the release of her 11-track album Ilitye and a national tour celebrating her journey from collective frontwoman to a fully realised independent creative force.

Zu.’s career began in collaborative spaces. In 2010, she co-founded LoveGlori, followed by the Zuko Collective (ZuCo.) in 2013. As lead member, she captivated audiences at major festivals including Smoking Dragon Festival, Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival, Fête de la Musique Johannesburg, and Cape Town Nu World Festival.

In 2015, she produced ZuCo.’s debut album Relationtrips. By 2016, Zu. stepped confidently into her solo era, releasing multiple projects including the SAMA-nominated single “Ndim Nani,” solidifying her voice within South Africa’s Afro-contemporary landscape.

“I think she is a possessed musician who delivers from spaces & recesses within her that we mere mortals will never know the pleasures of visiting.”
— Vanguard

Her artistic reach extends beyond music. Zuko Collective’s residency at the Abantu Book Festival affirmed her presence within the literary arts. Career highlights also include sharing stages with Yasiin Bey at the iRocke Festival, and the late Hugh Masekela at Bantu Hour.

Fresh from her debut European tour, Zu. enters her third decade not in reinvention, but in integration — creating work that serves as both performance and offering, while continuing to host community mental health check-ins as part of her deep commitment to art as healing.