BY NELIWE NGUBANE
MBABANE — Three songs, one South African star and a Swazi producer quietly working behind the scenes — Simmy’s new musical chapter has an Eswatini connection that fans may not have seen coming.
South African singer Simmy released her three-track EP, eFairyland, on September 4, 2026, as a teaser for her highly anticipated upcoming album, Fairyland. The project features “Siy’nkanyezi” featuring Zee Nxumalo, “Bawo” and “One More Time”, with Eswatini producer Livin SZ, real name Bongamenti Kevin Mkhonta, revealing that he produced all three tracks.
For Mkhonta, the project is not simply another addition to his catalogue. He sees it as a major breakthrough — one that began with a recommendation from acclaimed South African producer Sun-El Musician and developed into a creative partnership with an artist he had long admired.
Mkhonta’s introduction to Simmy came after he worked on Sun-El Musician’s album, released in February 2026.
Sun-El subsequently suggested that Mkhonta work with Simmy, initially bringing him into the studio as a recording producer.
But the session soon took an unexpected turn when Simmy wanted to hear what Mkhonta could create himself.
“She was like, ‘No, but what do you have? What can you do?’ Which then I started creating for her,” Mkhonta said.
That question opened the door to a three-song creative journey, beginning with “One More Time” and eventually resulting in the material becoming part of eFairyland.
The songs were further refined, with mixing assistance from Kenza, as the team worked towards the sound Simmy wanted.
The collaboration had already sparked curiosity before the EP arrived.
During an interview following her performance at the Mavuso Trade Fair, Simmy hinted that she was working with a Swazi producer, leaving fans to wonder who was behind the music.
Mkhonta says the speculation even extended to the individual production credits, with listeners trying to identify whether the sounds came from Skillz, Sun-El Musician, Kenza or other producers.
Rather than being frustrated by the confusion, Mkhonta sees it as a sign that his sound is developing.
“I love that people have been so confused as to who the producer is behind ‘Bawo’, ‘Siy’nkanyezi’ and ‘One More Time’,” he said.
For him, the uncertainty represents progress.
“It tells me I’ve grasped the sound and I’m growing as a producer,” Mkhonta said.
While the collaboration has strengthened his professional catalogue, Mkhonta said his relationship with Simmy has grown beyond the studio.
He described Simmy as someone he had admired for years and said working with her was an opportunity he had always hoped would come.
“Working with Simmy has been amazing. She’s one of the people I always was a fan of, and I had always hoped to work with her at some point,” he said.
The producer now refers to Simmy as his “big sis”, describing their sessions as being filled with laughter, jokes and a connection that extends beyond music.
He also believes eFairyland is particularly close to Simmy’s heart, with the project carrying themes of loss, closure, gratitude and hope.
The songs explore different messages, from gratitude to God and the idea of recognising one’s own light, to the reflective question in “One More Time” about what a person would do if given another chance.
For Mkhonta, the project arrives at a time when his career is gaining significant momentum.
He said his catalogue is currently at an all-time high and credited the relationships he has built within the music industry for creating opportunities to work with artists outside Eswatini.
“I’m associating myself with the right people and my catalogue is really at an all-time high. Eswatini is on the map,” he said.
He also acknowledged other local creatives making their mark, including Virtousouls with “uBongo Martin”, saying the progress of fellow creatives contributes to the visibility of Eswatini’s music industry.
The Simmy collaboration is also not the end of Mkhonta’s cross-border journey.
The producer revealed that he has several projects in the pipeline, including a feature with Sun-El Musician, a collaboration with Kenza and an album with Mabzar.
These projects, he said, have grown from relationships he has developed within the wider African music ecosystem.
For now, Mkhonta is celebrating the significance of eFairyland, a project that has placed his production alongside one of South Africa’s distinctive voices while quietly carrying a piece of Eswatini into a wider musical conversation.
What started with Sun-El Musician’s recommendation has resulted in three songs, a strong creative bond with Simmy and what Mkhonta considers one of the biggest steps yet in his career.
And after all the speculation over who was behind the sound, the answer is finally out: Livin SZ.
#LivinSZ #BongamentiKevinMkhonta #Simmy #eFairyland #Fairyland #SunElMusician #Kenza #EswatiniMusic #SwaziProducer #EswatiniOnTheMap #AfricanMusic #EntertainmentNews #EPN #PositiveNews
(Courtesy Pics)
