What you didn’t know about Sho Madjozi’s parents

Sho Madjozi is one of the finest exports from South Africa’s entertainment industry to the world who has made her name known internationally, known for her colourful hairstyles, her fun fashion style that embraces her Tsonga culture, and her multilingual abilities.

Sho Madjozi was born and named Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif on the 9th of May in 1992 in Shirley Village, Elim, Limpopo.

Here is a look at Sho Madjozi’s parents, her siblings, and her childhood and upbringing that have greatly influenced her music.

Sho Mdajozi was born into a biracial home. While her mother Rosemary Phaweni is of African descent from the Tsonga ethnic group, her father Marc Wegerif is of European descent from Sweden.

Narrating how her parents met during an interview with the Mail and Guardian in 2018, Sho Madjozi simply explained that her mother was a village beauty who fell in love with a white boy. His father who was a charity worker was lying low during the apartheid era when he ended up in her mother’s village.

The John Cena hitmaker explained that her love for her culture was inspired by her parents who were proud of their culture. Her father lived in the village like a typical village man and even spoke fluent Tsonga.

Sho Madjozi’s parents divorced when the musician was only four years old and she was placed in the custody of her mother but she spent a lot of time with her father and even traveled with him.

As a result of his father’s travels, Sho Madjozi spent several years in Tanzania where she got her high school education at the International School of Tanganyika, Tanzania. While in Tanzania, Sho Madjozi learned Kiswahili which she incorporates in her lyrics and has helped her pull audiences from Swahili-speaking countries.

She returned to South Africa after completing high school to pursue higher education at the University of South Africa, Johannesburg.

While at the university, Sho Madjozi began writing poems under the pseudonym Maya The Poet and before long she also started writing songs for other artists.

After tasting small bits of fame from featuring in Okmalumkoolkat’s hit songs- Ngiyashisa Bhe and Gqi, Sho Madjozi embarked on her solo music career. In 2017, she released her debut single- Dumi Hi Phone which catapulted her to fame and the rest, as they say, is history.

While Sho Madjozi’s parents parted ways during the rapper’s critical stage of life, their amicable co-parenting helped her to experience the best of both worlds and helped her become the gifted superstar she is today.

Sho Madjozi’s siblings

Sho Madjozi is the only child born to her parents but she has half-siblings from both her mother’s and father’s sides.

In 2019, Sho Madjozi suffered a huge loss after her younger sister- Makhanani Maganye passed on following a tragic car accident.

The loss was deep and for the next two years, Sho Madjozi kept a low profile. In April 2022, Sho Madjozi remembered her sister during her second-year memorial. May the young soul continue resting well.