Afro-pop singer who was listed among the BBC's 100 Women, Singer Zahara passes away

The 36-year-old South African Afro-pop artist Zahara passed away after being admitted to the hospital for liver issues brought on by years of alcohol misuse.

The celebrated vocalist, whose true name was Bulelwa Mkutukana, passed away Friday night in a Johannesburg hospital.

After her Grammy-winning album Loliwe in 2011, Zahara gained a lot of international attention. In 2020, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women list, which honors the world's most powerful and inspirational women.


The Afro-pop singer was hospitalized last month as well because of pain in her liver and she is been dealing with alcohol addiction for many years.

When announcing Zahara's passing, South Africa's minister of sports, the arts, and culture Zizi Kodwa stated that the government had been "assisting" her family for "some time now."

Zahara's manager, Oyama Dyosiba, verified the singer was admitted to the hospital last month "due to complaints regarding physical pains."

Born into a low-income family in a hamlet close to East London, South Africa, Zahara had battled alcoholism for years before developing liver disease.

In 2020, Zahara said that violence against women in South Africa was a "pandemic" and launched a campaign against it.

In 2019, Nomande, Zahara's sister, revealed that physicians had informed her that Zahara would not survive if she kept drinking. We are ensuring that she has constant supervision to prevent her from picking up alcohol once more.