The Nelas Academy

YVONNE CHAKA CHAKA

South Africa | Music • Television • Humanitarian Entertainment

Yvonne Chaka Chaka is one of South Africa’s most influential popular musicians and entertainers. Born in Soweto, she emerged during the 1980s and became known internationally as the “Princess of Africa.” Her music blended African rhythms with contemporary popular styles and helped establish her as one of the leading African female performers of her generation.

Her recordings include “I’m in Love with a DJ,” “Umqombothi,” “I Cry for Freedom,” “Motherland” and “Thank You Mr DJ.” The University of South Africa describes her as one of South Africa’s top-selling pop artists and notes her later humanitarian work with UNICEF and other organizations.

Her career has also extended into television, film, business and education. She founded the Princess of Africa Foundation and has used her international profile to promote health, education and women’s empowerment across Africa.

The Nelas Research Focus: African Music • Cultural Diplomacy • Humanitarian Entertainment • Women’s Leadership

THE NELAS 100 GREAT WOMEN OF COLOR 1975–2025
HALL OF FAME EDITION
(50-Year Retrospective Research Project)

The Nelas 100 Great Women of Color is a curated research and documentation selection, not a definitive ranking of all Black and African women who have contributed to global entertainment.

The Nelas 100 Great Women of Color 1975–2025 is a research and documentation project of The Nelas Academy which is an emerging international media, arts and cultural research institution created to celebrate and preserve the contributions of Black and African women in creative arts, entertainment, music, film, modelling, poetry, fashion, pageantry and cultural presentation.

© Published by the Media & Research Department of
The Nelas Academy of Arts, Media and Television.