Stupid Nota calls for SA artists to boycott Zimbabwe

Controversial South African music executive and outspoken podcaster Nota Baloyi has urged South African artists to stop performing in Zimbabwe, arguing that musicians should boycott the country amid growing controversy surrounding the cancellation of several South African acts.

Baloyi, who was previously married to Zimbabwean multi-award-winning singer Berita Khumalo, made the remarks during a recent podcast in which he questioned why South African entertainers continue accepting bookings in Zimbabwe.

The pair married in 2020 before separating in January 2022. Their divorce was finalised in mid-2024.

Speaking on the podcast, Baloyi said South African artists should reconsider performing in Zimbabwe, claiming their appearances were being used to project a positive image of the country's leadership.

"So what we need to do? We need to boycott all these countries. Why are South African artists performing in Zimbabwe in the first place? Why are we performing in a country that can't even take care of its people?" he said.

Baloyi further alleged that South African performers were inadvertently helping to improve the image of Zimbabwe's government.

"We are being used by a government that's abusing its people. We are whitewashing all the atrocities that they are making and saying, 'Hey, even South African artists are willing to come here,'" he said.

He also called for South African artists to withdraw from Zimbabwean events, drawing comparisons with the international cultural boycott imposed on apartheid-era South Africa.

"We should boycott them, just like they boycotted us during apartheid. We should be boycotting all these Zimbabwean festivals, boycotting all these foreign promoters that are using South African artists," Baloyi added.

His remarks come as several South African artists, including Makhadzi, Musa Keys and Mafikizolo, have faced online campaigns calling for their performances in Zimbabwe to be cancelled.

The debate has gained momentum on social media, with critics arguing that South African entertainers should not continue performing in Zimbabwe while some Zimbabwean nationals living in South Africa face hostility and uncertainty over immigration-related issues.

Others, however, maintain that music and cultural exchange should remain separate from political disputes and that artists should not be drawn into diplomatic tensions between governments.

Baloyi's comments are expected to intensify debate over whether musicians should use their platforms to take political positions or continue performing regardless of the broader political climate.

At the time of publication, Zimbabwean authorities and organisers of the affected events had not publicly responded to Baloyi's remarks.