Tshego Santana, A Journey Through His Music: Road to SANTILALA Ep

by Wavy Sasso

My first encounter with Tshego Santana, Santilala, was late last year around November when I first heard “Bashimoney.” Honestly, at first I critiqued the song hard. I even called it funny. I remember sitting in the living room with my nephew, who was so focused on the screen while I was just shaking my head from the beginning and laughing at what Tshego was saying on the track.

But I won’t lie, the music video was fire. It was colourful, vibrant, and not the kind of video you’d easily forget. From the close-up shots of grills flashing to Tshego doing push-ups on top of a car, I could see the vision behind it.

Fast forward to the top of 2025, a friend of mine, Bigot, sent me the same song to bump. I told him I was already aware of Tshego Santana. That was when I decided to give myself time to properly check out his discography.

Trust Fund Baby Boy – Mixtape of the Year

That’s when I found “TRUST FUND BABY BOY”, a mixtape he dropped on 30 October 2024. From the jump, the opening track “OVER” caught my attention. There’s a line where he says:

“You saw the title and you took me for a baby boy, I’ve been through a whole lot.”

And as you listen deeper, you realise he wasn’t just rapping—he was sharing his life. Throughout the tape, you hear his story of struggle, pain, and resilience, especially when he raps about losing his mother, who he describes as his role model.

The second track, “FREE,” dives into the critiques he gets from his community for being a rapper, while still carrying the heavy emotions of missing his mom.

close shots on BashiMoney music video

“Bashimoney” is placed as track number 5 on the tape, and it feels perfectly positioned and tables turned I'm bumping it a lot today. It comes right after "BANYANA." Before both songs is “MADMEN”, a gritty hood anthem featuring 9MeMeza, who balances the track with raw Zulu raps. Then comes “BANYANA,” one of my personal favourites, also featuring 9MeMeza.

There’s a line on Banyana where Tshego raps:

“Nna type tsaka ke bo Lupita, anything melanin ng'ya splitter.”

That line is crazy. The song itself explores the complicated, often confusing dynamics between men and women. Its sound matches well with the track that follows, as both songs touch on how opposing genders view each other.

The Emotional Core – “ROLE MODEL”

Another standout for me is “ROLE MODEL.” This is where you really feel Tshego’s heart. From the soulful sample to his deeply personal lyrics, it’s a powerful track. He reflects on seeing his mother in a casket, admitting that even when people show him love, he sometimes feels like it’s not enough. Out of all his songs, this one is my number one.

It’s moments like these that show Tshego Santana’s strength as a storyteller. His music is rooted in the sounds of South Africa, but it’s the storytelling that makes him stand out. He raps about love, friendship, loss, growth, and the journey of self-discovery—things we can all relate to.

The Journey Continues

Since then, Tshego hasn’t slowed down. He dropped “Dating Pool/Charlie’s Angels” on 14 March 2025, followed by “BAKA,” a track that’s been on heavy rotation in my Spotify playlists.

Most recently, he announced his upcoming “SANTILALA EP.” It was originally scheduled for release on 31 August, but has since been pushed to 7 September 2025.

If Trust Fund Baby Boy was any indication of what Tshego Santana can do, then Santilala EP is set to be another milestone in his journey. I, for one, am ready to listen.