MUSIC23 JUL 2026Zoë Modiga turns Cape Town’s homecoming centre into a congregationPioneering singer-songwriter Zoë Modiga stunned Cape Town audiences with the launch of her self-produced fourth…Zingisa Mase2 min read

Pioneering, multi-talented singer and songwriter Zoë Modiga left Cape Town audiences stunned during the launch of her fourth studio albumThe Vault. Written and self-produced by Modiga, the album is an experimental masterpiece offering a dynamic blend of songs. The tour is named “Did I Do My Thing?” and is based on one of the songs from the 17-track album.

The Homecoming Centre was abuzz with Modiga weaving songs from across her catalogue, along with some of her favourite artists like mam’ Busi Mhlongo. The music was soothing, genre-defying and beautiful. The songs are well-balanced, neither heavily relying on her voice nor hiding behind sound and production.

The multitalented artist is in the business of communicating verbally and non-verbally, which requires technique. Modiga does this with precision, seamlessly moving between singing and dance. The 32-year-old singer and dancer has an infectious and earnest presence and a beautiful vocal texture.

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To Modiga, performing and singing merge — defying the ideas of travel and space. She believes movement is necessary; she finds ways to move within restriction to reach her audiences, even in the small performance space of the Homecoming Centre. She squats and kneels while touching her notes with precision.

She seems to have been performing since birth. Modiga describes the songDid I Do My Thing?as a vulnerable love letter to her audience. She says that it shows her dedication to self-reflection, artistic growth and commitment to building meaningful music for her audiences.

In between songs she makes conversation about her creative process, telling us that for her, creating is when the soul and mind become something divine, a meeting of two worlds. She explains thatThe Vaultis also a pot of African contemporary sensibilities, a bit of jazz, acoustic soulful sounds and alternative modern sonic landscapes — an album where she celebrates her journey to self-discovery, spiritual growth and overcoming people-pleasing; some of her performances mirrored the process she’d described. She performs songs on African unity, ubuntu and a shared love for one another, drawing all of us in attendance into an acquiescent congregation, singing along to some of the performances.

She made 17 July a memorable one in the Cape Town performance space. The tour continues to The Chairman in Durban on July 26, before concluding with a sold-out show at Joburg Theatre on July 31.

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