The year Babes Wodumo became SA's national treasure

One moment she was just a dancer you'd often see in music videos, and the next, she's SA's national treasure. Her name? Babes Wodumo.

Babes unlocked new levels in the South African music scene this year when she released her hit track, Wololo, which is one of the most played songs on radio.

Oh, and did we mention her energetic dance moves that rival the Boom Shaka girls of the 1990?

Since then, she has become hot property.

Babes, who released her debut album in November, also made history in the local music industry in October, after clocking more than 2 million YouTube views on the music video for Wololo in just three months.

The haters

However, while she managed to garner praise from almost everyone, she still had a few critics, who've labelled her "ratchet".

"Yes, I am ratchet vele. I grew up in Lamontville township. I'm loxion culture. I'm a girl from the township who danced and was known for that. I'm carefree. I respect and love myself and I love people," she told Sowetan during an interview.

"Some people may look at me and say this 'sfebe' [slut], 'these kids who are nude...', but when they sit down with me they realise that when I'm on stage I have to perform. I don't go around dancing like that, as if I'm mad. As long as my parents accept me, I'm not concerned about what other people think of me".

And as she grew more popular, she started becoming the centre of many storms.

If she wasn't called out for apparently not attending church or her song getting trolled for being about drugs (it's not, then she has had to face criticism about her talent.

But she took to Instagram to explain that despite the tough times, she still finds inspiration.

"Life is a lot of work. What is it that gives us the strength to continue when we are tired and burned out? Sometimes an inspirational idea can help us renew ourselves and be filled with strength to fulfill our life's purpose."

"Inspiration comes in many forms. However, the root of all inspiration is the idea that our lives are meaningful. Inspiration is knowing that what I do matters deeply to the universe. When you have the feeling that your actions are meaningful, you will become filled with strength and vigor to fulfill your life's purpose," she added.

Romance

Babes Wodumo and DJ Mampintsha found themselves hogging headlines earlier on in the year as rumours of a romance between them started swirling.

And since then, they have become revealing about their romance.

In one of her many gushing notes on Instagram, Babes poured her heart out about the impact Mampintsha has had on her life.

"There's no one who can take your place. The way you smile, the way you look, the way you always know what I am thinking about, the way you gave me hug when all was needed, the way you cry, laugh, listen and love," she wrote on Instagram.