Motswedi Modiba: How a South African singer takes China's pop music by storm

Ms. Modiba, you were born in South Africa, but you sing in Chinese and collaborate closely with Chinese pop stars – how did that come about?

I was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa – the eldest of four siblings. After the end of apartheid, my parents wanted to prepare us for a successful future in a changing world. They looked at which economies were on the rise and which languages would be useful in the future. I started learning Chinese when I was six years old. That's why I don't have a strong foreign accent. Many people in China notice that.

Did you attend a Chinese school in South Africa or receive private tuition from Chinese teachers?

I went to Pretoria Chinese School, an English school with mandatory Chinese classes. The school partly followed a Chinese curriculum – we also celebrated Chinese holidays and learned cultural characteristics. I first traveled to China in 2013, when I represented South Africa in the Han-Yichao Chinese language competition. The competition involved a written test and a cultural performance – for me, that meant singing – and I won.

Was that the moment you realized you wanted to pursue a music career in China?

Not directly. It developed more organically. Later, when I studied at Yunnan Normal University, I entered singing contests at the university – just for fun at first. The turning point was "Sing! China," one of the biggest TV shows in China, with more than 150 million viewers. I was the first black African woman to participate. That's when I realized that people really reacted positively to me. It was my plan, but suddenly I realized: this could be a real career path.

What happened then?

After my time in China, I returned to South Africa to complete my bachelor's degree in music. I then took a gap year before starting my Master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

I've been living in New York since 2022, but I commute a lot between the US and China. I just toured with Hans Zimmer, and now touring with Wang Leehom – one of the biggest pop and movie stars in China. So my focus is more on China right now, but I'm active in both worlds.

Do you think the Chinese music market has great potential for other artists?

Definitely. In a way, I'm unique because I speak and sing Mandarin – that makes me stand out, of course. But beyond that, China is a huge market – over a billion people. From a strategic point of view, it would be foolish not to explore it. The audience is there, the deals are there – you just have to be present and put in the work.

How do you personally show this presence in China?

This year I'm particularly focused on China. I recently appeared on Beijing TV, where I sang a South African song – a beautiful way for me to build cultural bridges. However, I also keep one foot in the US because I have a global vision. Entering the US market is hard – especially for someone like me – but having a strong base in China helps.

When you are in the US, do you talk about your successes in China, or is that more of a disadvantage when trying to gain a foothold in the West?

I absolutely talk about it – it's one of the things that makes me special. Everyone has their unique selling point, and mine is that I've built a career in China and am active in the US at the same time. That's a path that not many people have successfully taken so far.

And the truth is: Western labels and executives in the music industry are constantly trying to gain access to the Chinese market – it's huge, but difficult to enter. I am a rare bridge between the two worlds.

As an African artist, are you treated differently in China than in the US, for example?

Yes, definitely. The first reaction in China is usually: "Wait a minute – you're African, you're black and you speak fluent Mandarin?" That does surprise people.

Of course, there is also a certain exoticization – but overall I have received a lot of genuine appreciation. I have practiced singing for years and take the language and culture very seriously. I don't try to "be Chinese" – I just perform with respect and genuine love for the music, but at the same time, I also bring my own culture and identity to it. This authenticity resonates very well with people.

Let's talk about soft power. Compared to South Korea's success with K-pop, Chinese pop has not made the same breakthrough internationally. Why do you think that is?

That's an excellent question. An interesting event in this context was when TikTok was temporarily blocked in the USA and many people turned to Xiaohongshu – a Chinese app. Many people discovered Chinese aesthetics, music and lifestyle for the first time. And the most common reaction was: "We didn't even know it was so exciting."

And in my opinion, this is the crucial point that has been missing so far: visibility. People can't get excited about something they don't know exists. However, as the world becomes increasingly connected through social media, curiosity is growing. People are more open to discovering other cultures.

So, do you think Chinese pop could make global waves in the future?

I think the global moment for Chinese pop is just around the corner, yes. It just needs more visibility and targeted positioning of the market. Look at K-pop stars like BTS - their success didn't just come from good music. There was a lot of strategy behind it. I'm now seeing more Chinese artists who are specifically targeting the Western market – that's very exciting. At the end of the day, of course, good music is good music – regardless of the language.

Motswedi Modiba, also known as MOE, is a South African R B singer and songwriter. She became known to a broader audience in the People's Republic by participating in the casting show "Sing! China". She has just finished a tour with the pop star Wang Leehom, who is extremely popular in China.