The clip travelled quickly, eventually attracting the attention of Drake, who shared it with his millions of followers. What followed was bigger than the moment itself.
Within weeks, Waffles went from working to establish herself as a DJ to receiving international attention, securing bookings and being introduced to audiences far beyond Southern Africa.
Five years later, the 2021 video remains one of the defining moments of her career, but it is no longer the whole story.
Since then, Waffles has built a catalogue of music, performed across several continents, appeared at some of the world’s biggest festivals and venues, earned award nominations and wins, and become one of the most recognisable names associated with amapiano outside South Africa.
Her latest chapter is a joint project with Royal Musiq, 4 DA STREETS!, released in May 2026. The six-track project followed a run of international performances and came after several years of expanding her work beyond DJ sets into production and recorded music.
The distance between that release and the viral video that introduced her to the world is significant. So is what happened in between. Before the viral moment.
Waffles began learning to DJ during the COVID-19 lockdown period in 2020. She has spoken about spending long hours practising and developing her skills before she had the level of recognition she has today.
She eventually moved towards the South African market, where there were more opportunities to perform and build a career in music.
At the beginning, getting booked was not straightforward. She approached promoters and booking agents for short sets and, at times, offered to perform for free simply to get in front of audiences.
Her association with creative agency KreativeKornerr helped change that. The agency began booking her more consistently, and she started getting opportunities to perform in venues where she could develop her presence as a DJ.
Then came the October 2021 performance. The video of Waffles dancing during her set spread rapidly online. DJ Maphorisa and other established names in the amapiano scene were already part of the musical environment she was entering, but Drake's public acknowledgement gave the moment an international dimension.
In April 2022, Waffles embarked on her first United Kingdom and Ireland tour. She also performed alongside DJ Maphorisa and Focalistic as part of the Piano People shows, placing her alongside established figures in the amapiano movement.
Her international schedule expanded quickly. She performed in the United States and Australia and continued touring through Europe and Africa.
In London, she played the O2 Academy Brixton. Her New York debut at Brooklyn Steel sold out, and she later headlined The Brooklyn Mirage, becoming the first Black woman to headline the venue.
The scale of the bookings mattered because Waffles' career was developing at a time when amapiano itself was moving into markets outside Southern Africa.
For audiences who had little familiarity with the genre, DJs and performers such as Waffles became part of the introduction.
Her sets brought the sound of South African clubs and dance floors into international venues, while her online presence made the experience accessible to people who had never seen her perform in person.
In 2023, that progression took her to Coachella. Waffles became the first amapiano artist to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, putting the genre on one of the most prominent festival stages in the United States.
Her Coachella appearance was not an isolated international booking. It followed performances across Europe, North America and Africa and became another marker in a career that was increasingly moving between local and international stages.
Waffles' career also changed when she moved from being primarily known as a DJ to releasing her own music. Her first single, ‘Tanzania’ featuring Tony Duardo, Sino Msolo and BoiBizza, was released in March 2022.
The song became one of the most important releases of her early career and eventually achieved multi-platinum status in South Africa.
Its success gave Waffles another part of the business to develop. She was no longer only selecting and mixing music created by other artists. She was now building records of her own.
Her debut EP, Red Dragon, followed in 2022. In 2023, she released Asylum, followed later that year by Solace. The two projects were presented as two sides of a larger body of work, An Asylum of Solace.
‘Asylum’ produced ‘Yahyuppiyah’ which went on to receive multi-platinum certification in South Africa. ‘Peacock Revisit’ from Solace, also became a significant release and was accompanied by a dance trend online.
Her music was increasingly becoming a separate part of her identity instead of simply an extension of her DJ career. That distinction became more visible as more artists and international platforms began recognising her work.
Waffles also received a nomination for Best International Act at the 2023 BET Awards and was named Woman of the Year at the 2023 GQ Men of the Year Awards in South Africa.
She also won Best DJ Africa at the African Muzik Magazine Awards. However, the speed of Waffles' rise has also meant that questions about her credibility have followed her throughout her career.
Some of the earliest criticism focused on her DJing. After her first UK shows in 2022, clips from her performances circulated online and prompted some viewers to question her technical ability.
One commentator described her UK set negatively, while fans defended her and pointed to the sold-out shows she was already playing. The criticism did not stop there.
As Waffles became more visible, conversations around her appearance, dancing, and stage presentation became part of the discussion about her career.
Some critics questioned whether her popularity was based more on her looks and performance style than on her skills as a DJ.
It is a criticism she has addressed herself, particularly in relation to the expectations placed on women working in a male-dominated DJ industry. The questions have not prevented her from continuing to work.
While people debated her skills online, she was touring. While people questioned whether she could make the transition from viral DJ to recording artist, ‘Tanzania’ was earning platinum certifications.
While her appearance and dancing became subjects of online discussion, she was performing at Coachella.
And while the conversation around whether she had earned her place continued, the list of venues, festivals, and artists she worked alongside continued to grow.
That does not mean every performance or release has received universal praise. It simply means the criticism has existed alongside a career that has continued to develop.
Waffles' growth has also been reflected in the commercial and brand opportunities that have followed her music career.
She partnered with KFC South Africa on an Uncle Waffles burger, and her growing profile has brought collaborations beyond music.
Her international visibility has also placed her in rooms and on stages outside the traditional amapiano circuit. She has worked with and appeared alongside international names and has increasingly occupied space in global music conversations.
The touring schedule itself has become a significant part of her career. The demands of being an independent artist have meant balancing travel, performances, music releases and content.
In interviews, Waffles has spoken about organising her touring into seasons so that the costs of international travel make sense financially.
That schedule has come with its own challenges. There have been periods when the number of performances and travel commitments left little time for rest.
But touring has also allowed her to build audiences directly rather than relying solely on the reach of social media.
The distinction is important because the career that began with a viral clip has had to become something that works when the cameras are no longer pointed at her.
Five years after the video that introduced her to a much larger audience, the questions around Uncle Waffles have changed.
There are still conversations about her technique, her image and the role of performance in her success. But there is now a longer body of work against which her career can be measured.
In a recent interview, she spoke openly about the exhaustion that can come with working in the music industry. Rather than presenting success as something that removes difficulty, she spoke about the importance of returning to herself when the demands of the industry become overwhelming.
The support around her has also played a role. During Women's Month, Waffles reflected publicly on the women who have supported her throughout her life.
She expressed gratitude for the female supporters who have helped shape her journey, describing women as an important part of the life she has built and the people who have helped her maintain her sense of self.
The acknowledgement is significant in the context of a career that has unfolded under intense public scrutiny. While much of the conversation around Waffles has focused on her achievements, the people around her have also formed part of the foundation that has allowed her to continue working.
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