February Cover Interview: How Lungelihle Zwane became Uncle Waffles

The Princess of Amapiano, shares her journey in an exclusive interview for Rolling Stone Africa's February digital cover.

Born on March 30, 2000, in Eswatini, Uncle Waffles grew up in a modest environment. Passionate about the creative industry since childhood, she immersed herself in the sounds of South African house… Her music career began in 2020 during the lockdown, a period in which she trained intensively in DJing. In October 2021, her life changed dramatically when a video of her dancing during a performance in Soweto went viral.

Lungelihle Zwane, aka Uncle Waffles, has captivated audiences with her infectious energy and dance moves. In this exclusive interview conducted by Krysta Billong,
The “Princess of Amapiano” discusses her rise to fame, her creative process, and her plans for the future.

From learning to DJ during lockdown to headlining Wireless Festival in London, Uncle Waffles has broken barriers and redefined the Amapiano genre. We discussed her hit single “Tanzania” and many more key moments of her career: from 2020 to 2025.
She also mentioned a possible pivot towards fashion or other forms of creative expression…

Dive into the world of Uncle Waffles, watch the full interview below: 

CREDITS

EDITORIAL

Journalists : Krysta Billong (@krystabillong) Takudzwa Nyambi (@_nyambi)
Editor : Ellie Howard @1709productions
Executive Producer : DR Bellegarde-Smeralda (@mwankomofficial)

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Photographer: Elliot Hensford (@elliothensford)
Creative Director: TJ Sawyerr (@tj.saw1)
Stylist: Chantelle Thach (@chantellethach)
Lighting Tech: George Robson (@georgerobson)
MUA: Noemie Adebiyi (@noemi.adebiyi)
Hair: Estelle Hayatou (@stella.yato)
Styling Assist: Gia Knight (@giaknight) + Yaya Miura (@yayamiiu) + Paola Rivas (@luciiidd)
Edit + Retouch: Jenny Arrowsmith (@arrwsmth)
Producer: TJ Sawyerr (@tj.saw1)
Post Production: Dave Chaney @ EC One Lab (@econe_lab @dchandprintz)

Thanks to Le Salon Studio (@lesalonstudio)

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