Fashioning Modern Africanism

South Africa’s number 1 vodka brand, Smirnoff 1818, has extended the deadline for entries into its female DJ search competition - Shaya Ingoma, launched in October 2021. Now, local female DJs (disc jockeys) have until Monday, 14 February 2022, to enter the Smirnoff 1818 Shaya Ingoma competition. The competition was initially going to end in November, however the sheer level of talent that has entered already inspired Smirnoff 1818 to give more up-and-coming DJs the opportunity to participate by extending the closing date to 14 February 2022. While the female DJ landscape in South Africa is on the rise, according to the FUSION 2021 Interim Modelled Update research there is still a wide gender gap within this sphere of the music industry, and it’s clear that it is not because of any lack of talent. The barriers to entry for women are deeply entrenched, making it much harder for women to break through this male-dominated industry. Several factors contribute to these barriers, such as bias

While some women have broken boundaries within the DJing landscape of South Africa, it’s no secret that there is an unignorable wide gender gap that exists within this sphere of the music industry, and it is not because of any lack of talent. In male-dominated industries, such as this one, the barriers to entry for women are deeply entrenched, making it much harder for females to break through. There are a number of factors that attribute to these barriers, such as, biasness due to false gender perceptions, lack of access, and so on. South Africa’s number 1 vodka brand, Smirnoff 1818, has decided to launch a new initiative called Shaya Ingoma. The Shaya Ingoma platform calls on all up-and-coming female DJs nationwide to enter the first for the brand female DJ search. Through Shaya Ingoma, Smirnoff 1818 aims to narrow the gender gap and shine a light on some talented upcoming female DJs. This empowerment platform will be focused on unearthing, promoting and offering multiple opportuniti