Simphiwe Dana Blasts Nomzamo Mbatha and ‘Shaka iLembe’ for Copying Her Hairstyle, SA Reacts

• South African songstress Simphiwe Dana recently blasted Nomzamo Mbatha and Shaka iLembe for copying her hairstyles
• The Ndiredi hitmaker went on a rant in a now-deleted post about how they had never appreciated her style or even acknowledged that she inspired them
• Many netizens were appalled by Dana's words on social media and flooded the comment section with their reactions
• Professional hairstylist Lazaros Sumbane spoke to Briefly News about the rising popularity of traditional African-inspired hairstyles in mainstream media

Yoh, South African jazz songstress Simphiwe Dana appalled many netizens on social media with her recent behaviour towards the multi-award-winning actress Nomzamo Mbatha regarding the hairstyles on the most-watched drama series Shaka iLembe.

In the early hours of Monday morning, 28 July 2025, the Ndiredi hitmaker, who had cried out about being wronged in July 2025, shared a now-deleted post on her X (formerly Twitter) page blasting Mbatha and the Shaka iLembe production team.

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Dana accused the actress and the drama series team of copying her Afrocentric hairstyles and not acknowledging that they had drawn inspiration from her. In the post, she also mentioned that they should have appreciated her for the hairstyles.

She wrote:

"I'm now fed up with brands appropriating my style. The least you can do is acknowledge where you got the ideas from. I'm talking to you, Shaka iLembe and Nomzamo Mbatha. The other sister I won't mention. It started here. Appreciate, don't appropriate."

Take a look at the now-deleted post below:

Professional hairstylist Lazaros Sumbane discussed with Briefly News the growing trend of mainstream media embracing hairstyles rooted in traditional African aesthetics. He explained:

"What Simphiwe Dana highlighted with Nomzamo Mbatha touches on something bigger , ownership and respect in the creative space. We must honour those who carry these styles and where they come from."

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Netizens drag Simphiwe for blasting Nomzamo

Many netizens were appalled and upset by the singer, who had just celebrated 20 years in the music industry, for her rudeness towards Nomzamo Mbatha, flooding the comment section with their reactions. Here's what they had to say below:

@kuanele_ said:

"Please don’t irritate us. No one has seen this hairstyle and thought of you."

@miaZwonaka commented:

"This is my first time ever seeing this hairstyle on her."

@KeaKhutsoane wrote:

"It would serve you well to invest some time in researching precolonial African hairstyles and their cultural significance. What you're presenting as 'your style' is deeply rooted in African history."

@salim_sgo responded:

"She wanted to catch us off guard, kanti, no, our problems keep us awake 24/7."

@azithesoulster replied:

"I’m almost certain she knows this because there’s no way she thinks that this idea came from her mind. She has definitely seen it before and probably even studied precolonial hairstyles and then derived “her style” from there. Wanting recognition is so crazy."

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Fans tell Simphiwe Dana to move on from the hairstyle drama: "It's not too late to humble yourself"

Simphiwe Dana accuses Gayton McKenzie of lying

Simphiwe Dana isn't always poised and demure, as her fans and a government official found out in 2024. Briefly News previously reported that Simphiwe Dana accused the then newly appointed Minister Gayton McKenzie of lying.

She claimed that Gayton McKenzie had falsely listed her as a beneficiary of a relief fund when she never received any money from his ministry. Dana clarified that her music director, Titi, applied on her behalf without her knowledge. Many netizens reacted to these accusations.

Source: Briefly News