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Africa Live: Tyla cancels world tour over 'worsened' injury - BBC News Africa Live: South Africa builds wall to keep out Mozambicans - BBC News
(about 1 hour later)
DJ Edu
Presenter of This Is Africa on BBC World Service
Concrete barriers are being built along a stretch of the South Africa-Mozambique border to prevent people crossing over to steal and smuggle vehicles. Nineteen-year-old singer-songwriter Khaid’s musical journey is quite the story. It started on the streets of his hometown Ojo, 40km (25 miles) west of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.
South African authorities have budgeted close to $2.7m (£2.1m) to build the wall. It's made up of three sections: Born Sulaimon Shekoni Abiola, Khaid was working as a roadside mechanic and freestyling during his free time.
An 8km (5 mile) barrier near Tembe Elephant Park In 2021 one of the videos he posted on Instagram of him rapping went viral – and was spotted by media personality, comedian and actor, Stanley Talker, who was also into music.
An 8km-long stretch near iSimangaliso Wetland Park "At first when I saw he followed me on Instagram, I didn’t really believe that it was him. I thought it was a fake page, to be honest," Khaid recalls.
A 9km wall from the western boundary of Tembe Elephant Park towards Pongolo River But when Khaid clicked on Talker’s page and saw one million followers he knew it was the real thing. He sent him a message asking to come and see him in Lagos.
Building works on the Tembe Elephant Park section "are currently underway," according to a joint briefing by the South African government and KwaZulu-Natal province. "I was really scared when I sent that message because I thought he would be like: 'Who do you think you are' but he was great.
"The impact of the project has been positively received by the community and the South African National Defense Force," it added. "When I got to his house my adrenaline was pumping and I freestyled six Afro-trap songs."
That the barrier is already foiling crime was emphasised by a failed attempt to drive a stolen SUV over the barrier using "iron ladders". It appears the ladders buckled, causing its drivers to set the vehicle on fire to destroy evidence. Khaid, then 17 years old, was signed the same day – the first signing for Talker’s Neville Records, which he launched in January 2022.
According to Defenceweb, there are 15 companies of troops safeguarding South Africa’s borders, particularly "high-risk borders" with Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. "When I got home, I felt like Jay-Z!”
In 2022 Khaid shot to fame with the track With You and he’s currently making waves with his latest catchy track Run Away, featuring Ghanaian superstar Gyakie.
Khaid’s music ranges from playful dance tunes to introspective love songs and he says his style is evolving all the time.
"I don’t really know how to describe my style – I do all sorts, from trap to pop – let me just say Afro-unknown because it can go anywhere."
To hear the full interview with Khaid, listen to This is Africa on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa, and online here: bbcworldservice.com/thisisafrica.
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