Moonchild Sanelly Sets Pohoda Alight with Her Future Ghetto Funk
South African singer, rapper and dancer Moonchild Sanelly is one of the boldest and most distinctive figures on today's African music scene. She calls her style future ghetto funk, blending amapiano, gqom, kwaito, afro-punk, hip hop, electronic music and pop. Her shows are an explosion of dance rhythms, a striking voice, confidence and humour. At Pohoda 2027, we can look forward to one of the most charismatic live performers around.
04. November 2026
Moonchild Sanelly, real name Sanelisiwe Twisha, comes from Port Elizabeth in South Africa. She first found her musical voice on Durban's poetry and underground scene, where she combined spoken word with hip hop and dance music. She later moved to Johannesburg, where she built her own artistic world. Her signature teal braids, striking visual identity and lyrics are all an essential part of it. In her songs, she speaks openly about women's empowerment, sexuality, self-acceptance and the freedom to be yourself.
From Beyoncé to Gorillaz
She released her debut album Rabulapha! in 2015 and followed it in 2022 with Phases. She has also gained international attention through collaborations with major names in music. Her voice features on Beyoncé's My Power, she worked with Gorillaz on With Love to an Ex, and she has appeared on tracks by artists and projects including Little Simz, Ezra Collective, Ghetts, Sad Night Dynamite, Tierra Whack, Obongjayar and Steve Aoki. With British musician Self Esteem, she recorded Big Man, which The Guardian named one of the songs of the summer in 2024.
Breaking Down Genre Boundaries
In 2025, she released the album Full Moon, which earned full marks from The Guardian and The Observer. Its twelve tracks were produced by Johan Hugo and recorded in Malawi, Sweden and the UK. The album blends club beats, electronic pop, afro-punk and South African dance genres. On it, Sanelly celebrates her own body, women's independence and freedom, while also exploring more personal and vulnerable themes. While Scrambled Eggs, Big Booty and Sweet & Savage are made for the dance floor, the closing tracks reveal a more sensitive side of her work.
Moonchild Sanelly constantly refuses to be put in a single musical box. In 2026, she went on to experiment further with South African dance music and Afro-house. She teamed up with producers ZVRI and Kususa on Khetha, opening another chapter in her genre-free work. She'll arrive at Pohoda just as her musical world is taking on new shapes once again.
Her live résumé includes Primavera Sound, SXSW and Glastonbury, where she played a staggering ten sets in 2024. She has also performed alongside Gorillaz and supported Doja Cat in South Africa. On stage, she's joined by a DJ who is also her dance partner. Together, they put on an energetic show where music, dance, provocation and pure joy of self-expression come together.
At Pohoda 2027, Moonchild Sanelly will show that African dance music comes in many forms, and that the best place to cross genre boundaries is on the dance floor.