Ukhozi FM Top 10 songs of 2025: the finalists and recordings

Ukhozi FM’s 2025 Ingoma Ehlukanisa Unyaka shortlist brought together ten songs and a wide network of collaborators. This retrospective introduces the finalists and helps readers find the intended recordings, including an important distinction between a live release and a later album version.

How this historical list was checked

The ten entries and A–J identifiers follow the Ukhozi FM/SABC-branded 2025 graphic reproduced in The Citizen’s report of 2 December 2025. We inspected the dated station graphic and checked recording credits against the linked release catalogues on 3 November 2026. This is the finalist ballot order, not the final voting result. The 2025 vote is closed. Abbreviated station credits and fuller catalogue credits are labelled where they differ. These are researched profiles, not first-hand listening reviews. No placement was sold.

At a glance

Ballot entry Song Artists shown or summarised from the graphic A Mamma Skillz, Zee Nxumalo & Sykes B Shela Sam Deep, Nia Pearl, Boohle & Mano C Mali Zee Nxumalo & Dlala Thukzin D uMA weNGANE Jazzworx & Thukuthela on the station graphic E Bengicela MaWhoo, GL_Ceejay, Thukuthela & JAZZWRLD F Uyoncengwa Unyoko Umafikizolo G Isaka (6am) Ciza, Jazzworx & Thukuthela on the station graphic H Uyena Sjava I Order Professor & Larny J Awungazi DJ Tira, Pcee, CampMasters & General C’mamane

1. Mamma

2025 ballot identifier: A.

The station graphic names Skillz with Zee and Sykes, while the release catalogue presents Zee Nxumalo, Skillz and Sykes together. The linked single is classified as dance and sits alongside a separately labelled radio edit. Those are useful details when finding the recording after encountering only its ballot title. Nxumalo’s wider catalogue also connects her with Mali, another finalist in this same selection. The ballot’s letter A is simply its identifier; it does not establish that Mamma finished first. This profile retains the historical nomination while directing readers to the credited release rather than repeating an expired voting instruction.

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2. Shela

2025 ballot identifier: B.

The release catalogue identifies Sam Deep, Nia Pearl and Boohle as the main artists, with Mano in the featured credit. It classifies the 2025 single as amapiano. The recording also appears in a later album listing, which is why the single’s identity is useful when following the historical finalist. A catalogue can show more than one edition without those being separate ballot contenders. Read the full credits to find the intended recording and explore the contributors. The combination of principal and featured artists is more informative than shortening the song to a single performer’s name, especially in a list with many collaborative releases.

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3. Mali

2025 ballot identifier: C.

Mali is credited in the catalogue to Dlala Thukzin and Zee Nxumalo, with Sykes featured. The linked recording appears on 031 Studio Camp 2.0. Its credit line connects two names on the station graphic with a contributor who is not visible in that shortened ballot description. For a reader tracing the 2025 shortlist, those details help distinguish the recording from mixed versions or other releases using the same short title. Nxumalo also appears on Mamma, giving the list a clear connection across collaborations. The catalogue context supports discovery; the ballot placement itself remains the historical letter C, not a final scoring position.

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4. uMA weNGANE

2025 ballot identifier: D.

The station graphic abbreviates this entry’s credits to Jazzworx and Thukuthela. The linked streaming single uses the styling uMA weNGANE and credits Thukuthela, JAZZWRLD, Sykes and Major League DJz. It is a 2025 dance release associated with Waltz Music Group and EMPIRE. Keeping both descriptions visible is more useful than silently treating the abbreviated ballot line as a complete set of release credits. Readers can follow the catalogue entry for the recording and its collaborators while referring to the station’s graphic for its place in the shortlist. Differences in display names should be checked against the particular edition being accessed.

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5. Bengicela

2025 ballot identifier: E.

The ballot’s Bengicela entry brings together MaWhoo, GL_Ceejay, Thukuthela and JAZZWRLD. The recording catalogue lists MaWhoo, GL_Ceejay and Thukuthela as principal artists and JAZZWRLD in the featured credit, and associates the song with Amazwi Okubonga. This is another example of the collaborative network running through the finalists. It also appears in Apple Music’s separate 2025 South African year-end list, but the two lists measure different things: a streaming platform’s listening and a radio campaign’s shortlist are not interchangeable. Use each source for its own claim, and retain the full contributor line when looking up the recording.

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6. Uyoncengwa Unyoko

2025 ballot identifier: F.

Umafikizolo’s entry is the title recording from the four-track Uyoncengwa Unyoko EP. The release catalogue classifies the 2025 project as maskandi and identifies Insika Yethonga in its copyright line. The EP offers a practical discovery route beyond the single ballot title, with other songs including Nginsizwa and Zab’hlungu Lezondaba. That genre and project context distinguishes the entry within a shortlist featuring several large dance collaborations. The historical graphic verifies its nomination. This guide’s A–J order follows the ballot and does not present vote totals or a final result; those would require their own dated results source.

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7. Isaka (6am)

2025 ballot identifier: G.

The catalogue identifies Isaka (6am) with Ciza, JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela, while the station graphic uses Jazzworx in its shortened credit line. The recording also belongs to Apple Music’s separate 2025 year-end South African selection. That overlap makes it particularly useful to keep the source and measurement clear when describing a song as a “Top 10” entry. Ciza’s catalogue separately lists Isaka II (6am), so readers should retain the version name when following the 2025 finalist. The link here identifies the recording discussed; it does not combine separate releases or suggest that the radio ballot and streaming order were the same ranking.

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8. Uyena

2025 ballot identifier: H.

The relevant 2025 catalogue entry is Uyena (Live) from Sjava’s Inkanyezi (Live). That distinction matters because a later 2026 album contains a version of Uyena credited to Sjava and Nothando Dlamini. The historical finalist graphic names Sjava, and the link here leads to the 2025 live recording. A later studio or album version can make a familiar title easier to find in search results while obscuring its earlier performance context. For readers revisiting the ballot, the recording’s edition is therefore part of the story. This retrospective identifies the live release without assigning the later version’s collaborator credit to the original ballot line.

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9. Order

2025 ballot identifier: I.

Professor and Larny share the principal credit on Order. The linked catalogue entry is a 2025 dance single, with Proper Files named under an exclusive licence to CCA. The title is short and common enough that the artist names are especially useful for finding the intended recording. Its two-name lead credit also gives readers a different starting point from the longer collaborative line-ups elsewhere on the ballot. When revisiting a past radio campaign, keep the song and artists together in a search or playlist. The letter I identifies this finalist on the station graphic; it does not describe a ninth-place finishing result.

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10. Awungazi

2025 ballot identifier: J.

DJ Tira, Pcee and CampMasters take the principal credit, with General C’mamane featured. The linked recording appears on Izinsimbi zaMakoya, and its production credits identify DJ Tira as producer as well as a performer. That information adds useful context to the abbreviated ballot line without requiring a claim about the listening experience. Readers who recognise one name can use the complete credits to explore the wider collaboration. As with the other entries, the recording’s catalogue identity and its historical nomination are separate pieces of evidence. The ballot letter J closes this guide’s source order; it is not a claim that the song finished tenth.

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How to revisit a past radio shortlist

Use the year, artist names and version label when searching. Distinguish a finalist announcement from the final result and a radio vote from a streaming chart. A later album, remix or live edition can have different credits or dates. This is a retrospective of a closed 2025 campaign, so its old SMS instructions and prizes are not a current invitation to participate.

Sources and updates

The station-branded graphic reproduced by The Citizen supports the historical shortlist; it was not checked directly on the station’s own website. Official recording catalogues support the edition and credit information. Research checked 3 November 2026. The graphic is linked as a reference and is not reused as the cover photograph.

Cover: a microphone, photo by Martin Vorel / LibreShot, published 20 July 2016 under CC0 1.0. Generic archive illustration, not a photograph of Ukhozi FM’s studio.