Cape Town’s Shwelly M has spent the last two years quietly building the kind of career other emerging DJs only talk about: Bridges Academy training, a growing bond with Umgido Records, and a European debut at Awakenings that included a back-to-back with Shimza. Now she’s stepping into a new chapter with her EP UVUKO, a title that means “awakening” and one she says finally captures her own sense of arrival as an artist.
We caught up with Shwelly M to talk about the long road to finishing the Umgido collaboration, growing up surrounded by Gqom and Amapiano in Langa, and why she believes South African electronic music is only just getting started.
Your new EP UVUKO is out. Tell us more about it. What does the title mean to you, and what was the story behind making it?
For me, UVUKO means awakening or waking up. It’s not that people were sleeping, but personally, this feels like my moment of waking up and stepping into a new chapter. I wanted the music to reflect that feeling of finally realising that this is my time to be known and to really step forward as an artist. We spent a long time sitting with the music and revisiting it, so releasing it also feels like finally allowing that chapter to begin.
How did the collaboration with Umgido come together, and what was the studio dynamic like working together?
I knew Umgido through Bridges Academy, and I’d always really liked the way they blend Afro House with deeper elements. They were people I had wanted to work with for quite a long time. I reached out to them, and at first they weren’t really keen because they’re quite strict about who they collaborate with. They’re very protective of their sound and don’t want to dilute what they’ve built. But I kept knocking on the door. Eventually, I sent them an idea I had started on Fruity Loops. It was still at a very early stage, but they heard something in it, and we ended up developing the track together last year.
We kept revisiting it because we always felt like it needed something more. This year, we finally realised we had probably been holding onto it for too long and that it was time to give it to the people.
There’s actually something quite ironic about that because UVUKO means “the awakening.” In a way, while the song is about awakening, we also literally woke the track up from the hard drive and finally gave it life.
Take us back to the beginning. What first drew you to DJing and electronic music, and when did you know this was going to be your career?
It really started in 2022 when I enrolled for an MBA course. At the time, I didn’t completely know what I wanted to do, but I knew that I loved music and wanted to be involved in the music business.
When I learned how to DJ, I found it so exciting. The fact that I could introduce people to music and actually watch them dance to the songs I was playing was just too cool for me.
By 2023, I decided I wanted to really go for it and build myself as a brand. African electronic music had always been something I loved, and I was surrounded by a lot of Afro DJs and producers, so getting into that world felt very natural.
You’re from Langa, Cape Town. How has your hometown shaped your sound and your journey as an artist?
For the past few years, Gqom has been very dominant in Cape Town, especially in our townships. Amapiano has also been everywhere. Being surrounded by those sounds definitely shaped me, but it also made me want to find something different for myself. I didn’t want to just play what everybody around me was already playing.
Afro House felt perfect for me. It still connects to where I come from and to African electronic music, but it gave me a different lane and a sound that felt more like my own.
What’s your take on where the South African electronic music scene is right now, and where do you see it heading?
I think it’s big, and it’s where it’s supposed to be. South African electronic music is well respected now, and I think people around the world are paying attention to what is coming from here. I only see it getting bigger from this point.
You’re a graduate of Bridges Academy’s Class of 2022. How did that experience shape you as an artist, and what did you take away from it that still influences how you work today?
Bridges for Music taught me a lot of things, but one thing I’ll take away forever is learning how to be a brand and how to respect my work as an artist. Music is fun, exciting and very stimulating, and because of that, it can be easy to get carried away. But I was taught not to forget that at the end of the day, this is also work.
It’s your career, your brand and something you are building. You have to respect it and protect it at all costs.
You’ve been involved with Umgido Records for a while now. What role do you think community and mentorship play in the scene you came up in?
I think my relationship with Umgido explains a lot about that. They’re two guys who are very conscious about creating space for women, especially in an industry where female voices can still be overlooked.
What started with me constantly reaching out to them for production eventually became much bigger than just making music. They started teaching me other things too — how a label works, how to think independently as an artist and how I could eventually run something of my own without feeling like I always have to depend on somebody else.
I think that kind of mentorship is especially important in township communities. Sometimes women are not always seen for their talent or for what they can build creatively, so having people around who genuinely want to develop and support women makes a huge difference.
My involvement with Umgido actually started with me just being a fly on the wall in the studio, learning and observing. Over time, they started trusting my ear more, and now I’m also involved in helping discover female producers and vocalists who may still be untapped.
That’s what community means to me — not just opening the door for someone, but helping them understand how to eventually open doors for other people too.
Your European debut at Awakenings, including the back-to-back with Shimza, was a huge moment. How did that experience compare to performing at home, and how will you remember that night?
It was honestly the best day of my life. Performing at home is always special because people know where you come from and they understand your journey, but Awakenings felt like stepping onto a completely different level. It’s not just any festival – it’s Awakenings. I couldn’t fully believe that I had the gig until I actually stepped onto that stage and started playing.
The day before, I was extremely nervous. I kept thinking about what my first song would be after Shimza. I spent about three hours trying to find the right track and still couldn’t decide. Eventually, I just prayed about it and trusted that I was going to kill it.
I’ll never forget what happened when I posted the clips of us playing together. Back home, people celebrated me. I saw the clips on so many people’s stories. I’ll always remember that night as the night that changed my life. When I came back home, people looked at me differently. Suddenly, I was seen as “that girl who made it.” I know I’m still far from where I want to be, but the perception of me definitely changed after Awakenings.
What can we expect from you in 2026 – more music, more international dates, anything you can tease?
Definitely more music and more international dates. I’m actually going back to Germany for another show in Hamburg on the 30th of August, so I’m excited to keep building from what has already happened this year.