Samthing Soweto’s shocking revelations: Lies, unpaid royalties and DJ Maphorisa controversy

Samthing Soweto.

• Samthing Soweto insists his music was released without permission or payment.
• The singer accused collaborator and producer DJ Maphorisa of misrepresenting his contributions.
• He confessed to lying about DJ Maphorisa’s role in his music to enhance record sales.  

South African singer and songwriter Samthing Soweto has taken to social media to address the ongoing controversy surrounding his song Amalanga Awafani and his collaboration with DJ Maphorisa and Mas Musiq.    

In a series of posts, Samthing Soweto revealed his side of the story, expressing frustration over the handling of his music and the lack of transparency in their working relationship.  

Samthing Soweto opened his statement by acknowledging the ongoing public interest in the Amalanga Awafani issue, stating that work was being done behind the scenes to resolve the matter.

READ MORE | ‘Cancel me’: DJ Maphorisa hits back at fans over Samthing Soweto song credit controversy

He wrote, “In time, I will address the #amalangawafani issue. There’s work being done in the background. Till then, thank you for the support. I appreciate it.”

The musician explained his challenges working with various collaborators, noting how promises of ownership and collective collaboration often fell short.   

The Ulele singer noted, “We start all music with the understanding that these are our songs, as a collective. As soon as the song catches fire, no, you are a feature. No, you don’t get to own anything; you are not signed. I don’t work for these guys. No one has ever paid me a feature fee.” 

Samthing Soweto alleged that his work has been used without permission or formal contracts and has been excluded from vital financial gains.   

He expressed that he faced backlash on social media when he sought clarification. He posted, “They use my works without permissions, without contracts, or without consent. They just release my works without even informing me of release dates.”   

He called out DJ Maphorisa for his role in these events, accusing the music producer of dishonesty.   

“DJ Maphorisa shouldn’t lie the way he does; it’s gonna get him into trouble one day. I paid Phori for my Masters. I paid an amount that he asked for at the time.” 

However, the singer confessed that he had previously misrepresented DJ Maphorisa’s contribution to his work to boost sales.   

“I lied… I wanted to sell records, I used DJ Maphorisa’s legend to try and sell music and it worked. But I didn’t know that I’d pay for it with my hard-earned creative works and dignity.”

In a video clip, DJ Maphorisa rebuked Samthing Soweto for claiming to own Masters. He said, “We can give you the money back; send an invoice.”   

The DJ and producer, mired in controversy, said he is tired of the back and forth with Samthing Soweto.

News24 reached out to both artists for comment and the article will be updated should they respond.

SAMRO’s music-second formula

The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) calculates royalties for musicians based on a music-second formula, following international standards set by the Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).

The Net Distributable Revenue (or License Fee) for each distribution channel is divided by the total accumulated music seconds for that channel, producing a Revenue Unit Factor (Rand per music-second factor).   

This factor is then multiplied by the number of seconds each song was played on that channel, determining the royalty distribution per song. SAMRO also adjusts the payment by a share split, which reflects the agreed-upon ownership between contributing musicians. Broadcasters provide the song duration data to SAMRO for accurate royalty calculations.  

The organisation distributes royalties across six main categories: Radio & General, Live, Television, Film, Foreign Royalties, and Mobile & Internet Transmission (MIT).   

These distributions follow a schedule approved by the Board of Directors and are typically paid out about 12 months after the musical work is broadcast. Royalties are collected from licensed music users, such as broadcasters, who pay SAMRO a license fee for using its members’ music.

Adjustments to these payments, known as Secondary Distributions, may be made if data errors or late playlist submissions are reported.   

SAMRO divides royalties into sub-categories, such as public and private radio services, live music performances, and mobile or internet streaming services. Fees collected from TV stations are distributed for television public performances, while those from radio stations go toward public radio performances. 

Samthing Soweto’s posts have sparked widespread attention, bringing a renewed focus on artist compensation, song credits, and the handling of intellectual property in the South African music industry.