The crime, poverty and filth of the ghetto have not held Mzambiya back from becoming a pop star with thousands of adoring fans. He can sing, dance and capture the stage as a teenage showman. His album has sold more than 80 000 copies in just two months. Mzambiya was discovered at the age of ten, when he appeared on a television talent show. Oscar Mlangeni, a producer, said when he first saw Mzambiya "he's gotta be a genius of some sort". The young star belongs to a new wave of South African musicians who embrace Kwaito music. The songs are raucous, colourful and true to life. Kwaito draws on American hip hop and local African rhythm and is sung in township slang.

Produced by ABC Australia