‘Idols’ star’s hope to see youth find God
URBAN-gospel sensation Khaya Mthethwa is back on the music scene with a bang and wants to awaken the hearts of young people in South Africa and beyond to the power of God at work in their lives.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, Mthethwa said his biggest dream was to establish a megachurch as a platform to encourage people to encounter God for themselves.
He was in the Eastern Cape to promote his latest single Mkhulumsebenzi.
The song has rocked media platforms around the country since its release last month, and has brought with it a new and fresh gospel sound.
Mthethwa said he was planning a music tour to the province once his latest offering was out.
“The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces where I’ve established a strong following, and I know that if I don’t honour that, I’ll end up losing that connection. It’s heart-warming to see all the love and support I’ve received from people in every venture of my life,” Mthethwa said.
The musician said Mkhulumsebenzi captured his reflections on his life’s journey over the last 10 years.
“I wrote Mkhulumsebenzi after looking back at my life and realising that God’s been working in the background all this time. I’m inspired by the goodness of God in my life, and that’s the message behind the song.”
His passion for music and ministry began at the age of 13 when he preached to multitudes inside a tent. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.
Well-known for his Idols win in 2012, he’s released two gospel albums, presented TV-gospel shows, and is currently co-presenting Metro FM’s “The Sacred Space” with Thami Ngubeni. He’s also taken over his family ministry as a full-time senior pastor, and recently got married to former Miss South Africa Ntando Kunene.
Mthethwa said he balanced church and family life with music, while maintaining his image by staying true to himself and his calling.
“I encountered God for myself, and I’m living my life under my own lens.
“When we do what we do, and God begins to work in our lives, people recognise it can only be God.”
He said the message in his latest song and his music, was to encourage people to keep their faith even when life did not work out as expected.
“When things aren’t working out in your life from an exterior perspective, pay attention to what God is trying to do inside of you. When we don’t see physical things, we tend to think God’s forgotten about us, but the message behind my music is that God is at work inside of you,” he said.
“I’m a big dreamer . . . My ultimate desire is to see young people everywhere revived and fired up about what God can do in and through their lives.” —