17 Aug 2026

There Isa particular kind of magic when an artist doesn’t just perform a song, but sits down and tells you the story behind it. 

That was the experience of sitting down with Eswatini musician Andile Ace Jules Mabuza, who is back in Botswana for Echoes Of The Wild. Mabuza recently crossed paths with local artist Scar, and the connection was immediate. The duo has already recorded Sala Guchelwa, which was sampled live on air at RB2 recently.

The title draws from a Siswati saying, Sala Guchelwa, Sibona Ngomop,  meaning those who refuse to listen will learn the hard way. On the track, the idea splits into two perspectives. Scar’s verse follows a young woman swept into the spotlight, only to watch it lead her toward decisions she would not otherwise have made.

Mabuza speaks of Scar with genuine warmth rather than name-dropping. 

“I only got to fully understand his greatness once the work was already in motion,” he said.

Beyond the studio, Mabuza showcased his solo work at Flava Dome with Mama Temba Mina. The performance exuded warmth. 

The song is a tribute to mothers, those who work themselves thin, sacrifice quietly, and build the foundation everyone else stands on. It also reaches toward male children navigating identity and belonging. It is a song about labour and love moving in both directions, and it has quickly become a signature moment in Mabuza’s live sets. Those live sets, he notes, are exactly what brought him back to Botswana.

That return comes courtesy of Echoes Of The Wild, a festival built around the collision of safari and the arts, where music, fine art, and the wide wild backdrop of Chobe fold into one experience.

Mabuza first came to Botswana through the Goethe Institute, where he took part in an entanglement workshop under the Africa/Europe partnership for culture. That earlier connection opened the door to Echoes Of The Wild.Mabuza also tells his journey through what he wears. His jacket is covered in CDs, repurposed because ‘nobody really uses CDs anymore, so why not give them another life.’

The jacket traces back to the MTN Bushfire Festival. Instead of fans lining up for his autograph, Mabuza flipped the script and asked other artists and festival goers to sign his jacket. People were startled, then delighted.

The result is a wearable map, carrying signatures from China, Australia, Eswatini, South Africa, and Limpopo, layered over a style built on 80s and 90s influence remixed through a contemporary lens of nostalgia.

That same openness carries into his view of Botswana’s music scene. Beyond Scar, Mabuza is candid about still learning the landscape. He names William Last as a dream collaborator, and says he is open to being pointed in new directions. ENDS