His music is the heartbeat of every dance floor in Mzansi, and his designer outfits dazzle on social media. However, behind the glitz and glamour, Amapiano superstar Maphorisa is reportedly facing a financial crisis. According to ZiMoja, the artist, whose real name is Themba Sekowe, is struggling to repay a staggering R20 million loan from his record label, Sony Music.
Insiders reveal that Maphorisa took an advance from the record label, confident in his ability to repay it. Unfortunately, the star now finds himself overwhelmed by the mounting debt, which includes hefty interest payments.
“He took an advance from the company because he was sure that he was going to be able to pay it back,” a source told ZiMoja. “But now he’s struggling because, of course, he has to pay the interest back too.”
A second informant described the artist’s current predicament as dire, with Maphorisa reportedly having sleepless nights over his financial woes. “He’s stressed because he has to pay them back. He fell into the trap that most artists fall into—taking advances from record labels and forgetting they’ll want it back with interest,” the source explained.
In a bid to alleviate his debt, Maphorisa is said to be pressuring artists he has mentored to perform more gigs. This strategy, however, is causing tension within his circle. “Other artists are bearing the brunt of his debt because he needs to pay up. The debt is old now, and he promised to pay it off,” another informant revealed.
Despite the mounting pressure and public interest, Maphorisa has refused to comment on the situation.
