Buhlebendalo Mda brings healing and activism to We The 99% People’s Summit

Singer and spiritual storyteller Buhlebendalo Mda, known to many as Buhle from The Soil, is set to perform at We The 99% People’s Summit, a counter summit to the G20 that champions justice, equality and collective power.

For Buhle, the event, which will be held from November 20-22 at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, is more than a performance it’s a spiritual and political statement.

“It’s not just another concert or conference,” she told TshisaLIVE. “It’s a living expression of what justice looks like when ordinary people join forces and show their collective power.”

She says We The 99% reminds the world of who truly keeps it turning — “the cultural activists, street traders, artists, mothers and workers who keep our economies alive”.

Since stepping out as a solo artist, Buhlebendalo has used her music to explore identity, spirituality, womanhood and queerness, all rooted in honesty.

“My music has always been about returning to the self and honouring our shared humanity. Justice isn’t abstract it’s how we live and love,” she said.

Leaving The Soil, she added, was an act of evolution.

“Evolution is not betrayal, it’s becoming. Standing in my own light showed me that my ancestors dreamed of this — a woman, queer and African singing her truth without apology.”

Buhle believes South Africa still needs deep healing and she hopes her music can help spark it.

“There’s so much grief, inequality and silence. Healing isn’t only soft it’s fierce. It asks us to face the wound and still choose to build again.”

Known for infusing her performances with African spirituality, she explains that her rituals are not for show.

“When people see me burn impepho on stage, it’s not performance, it’s prayer. I honour those who came before us and cleanse the space so we move with clean energy.”

Looking ahead, Buhle says her focus is on community, healing and truth.

“After the summit, I want to take this spirit into more intimate performances and collaborations with healers and storytellers,” she says.

And to young artists watching her journey, she offers one piece of advice: “Be free enough to find yourself in full colour.”