For the first time in her life, US singer Doja Cat – real name Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini – will be visiting South Africa, the home of her father, Dumisani Dlamini.
The Grammy-winning star has been announced as one of the headline acts for the Hey Neighbour Festival, which will take place in August in Pretoria.
Will she use the trip on “home soil” to connect with her South African roots?
DOJA CAT TO PERFORM IN SA!
This week, Hey Neighbour Festival organisers made the surprise announcement that Doja Cat would be visiting South Africa for the first time.
The 29-year-old entertainer – who was born to Dumisani Dlamini and Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer – will perform at the Hey Neighbour Festival at the Legends Adventure Farm in Pretoria.
While Doja Cat has never set foot in SA, she has shown great love and appreciation for the country where her father, Dumisani Dlamini, was born. In April 2024, the quirky star brought out Durban’s acapella group, The Joy, to perform alongside her at Coachella. Later in the year, she wore a stunning beaded dress featuring the South African flag at the Global Citizens Festival concert in New York City’s Central Park.
News of Doja’s performance in South Africa comes just days after US rapper Travis Scott announced that his Circus Maximus World Tour would be making a stop in Johannesburg in October.
DEAD-BEAT TO DADDY DEAREST?
Although they have never officially met – at least according to the public’s knowledge – Doja Cat has had much to say about her father, Dumisani Dlamini.
In May 2024, Doja went on a social media rant about the Yizo Yizo and Sarafina actor.
In it, she called him out for “abandoning” his family and being a “b*tch.”
Clapping back at mostly South African critics, she responded: “Go give the deadbeat a kiss on the lips for me.” She added: “[Dumisani] gave me a lazy eye and dipped.”
Under a post on Dumisani’s Instagram account, Doja Cat commented: “F**k you.”
Just lays later, Doja seemingly retracted her comments, posting: “JK [Just Kidding] Love you, I was mad.”
In a 2019 interview with Leah Henry and DJ Quicksilva, Doja Cat infamously claimed that she had never met or spoken to her biological father.
‘SHE NEEDS TO MEET HER ANCESTORS’
Doja Cat was born in 1995 to Dumisani Dlamini and his then-partner, Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer. After fathering a son, Doja’s brother Raman Dalithando, Dumisani left the US to return home.
In a 2020 interview with Metro FM, Dumisani claimed he had, in fact, attempted to reach out to Doja Cat. However, his efforts were allegedly halted by the singer’s management.
“They don’t want me to connect with her. I have tried to send her messages on social media,” he said.
He added: “I’m looking forward to connecting with her because, as a Zulu girl, she needs to come and meet with her ancestors.”
DO YOU THINK DOJA CAT WILL FINALLY MEET HER DAD, DUMISANI DLAMINI, DURING HER SA TRIP?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us onWhatsApp,Facebook, X, andBluesky for the latest news.
