South African rapper iFani has opened up about the lasting influence of his late grandmother, Mamtembu, and the career moments he wishes she had been around to witness.
For iFani, Mamtembu always believed he was destined to achieve great things. She knew him as a bright young man and initially imagined a more traditional career path for him, possibly in engineering, based on his academic abilities.
“She always knew me as a clever guy,” iFani recalled. “A guy who was always going to be successful in terms of working, some engineer, school stuff.”
That expectation was particularly evident around the time iFani graduated. His grandmother wanted to celebrate the achievement with a graduation party, but the rapper turned down the idea.
Behind the scenes, however, iFani was already thinking beyond academics. He was imagining a different kind of recognition — one that could come through music and the entertainment industry.
“When I graduated, she wanted to throw a graduation party for me,” he said. “And then I was like, ‘No, Mamtembu, I can’t, I can’t.’ But at the back of my mind I was thinking, some awards, Metro Awards, you know, another way of celebration.”
The Awards That Mattered to iFani
As his music career developed, iFani reached several milestones that he believes would have meant a great deal to his grandmother.
Among the moments he highlighted were his four Metro Awards nominations, followed by another four nominations at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs).
“The nominations, the four nominations from the Metro Awards, and then the four more nominations from the SAMA Awards,” he said.
Those achievements represented more than industry recognition for iFani. They were also milestones that reflected the alternative path he had chosen after moving away from the conventional career his grandmother had envisioned.
Turning Memories Into Music
Mamtembu’s influence has also found a permanent place in iFani’s music.
The rapper previously dedicated “Ingoma Ezimnandi” to his late grandmother, using the song to honour their relationship and preserve memories of her through his art.
Her passing means she was unable to witness some of the defining moments of iFani’s entertainment career. Yet her early belief that he would become successful remains an important part of how he remembers her.
For iFani, those Metro and SAMA nominations were not simply career achievements. They were the kind of milestones he had once imagined celebrating with Mamtembu — making them even more meaningful in hindsight.
