A moment of memory in a scroll-stop post
One afternoon, media personality Nandi Madida paused her feed, took a deep breath, and posted about a version of our national anthem she’d nearly forgotten. On her X account, she wrote, “Wow! Thank you. I had genuinely forgotten we had this version of the national anthem. Thank you for reminding me. My favourite part was singing ‘Woza moya’ as a young girl. This country and its people have gone through so much.”
That simple reflection struck a chord across South Africa. While many of us grew up with the current version of the anthem, there are layers of meaning tucked away in the older song that few still actively recall.
Rediscovering “Woza Moya”
Madida’s mention of “Woza moya” isn’t just a nostalgic line. It’s from Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, a hymn composed by Enoch Sontonga in 1897 that later became part of the national anthem following the end of apartheid. The lyrics were chosen to reflect unity, liberation, and hope in a nation emerging from decades of division.
By highlighting this line, Madida opens a door to the moment when that hymn moved from church choirs and mission schools into the heart of South African national identity. It reminds us how this country has transformed and how the song itself has carried that transformation.
Social media speaks up
Once the post went live, comments poured in: some fans thanked Madida for raising awareness of the anthem’s roots, while others noted how little we teach its full story in schools. One user pointed out that this version of the anthem weaves in multiple South African languages as a deliberate act of inclusion. Another lamented how many of our leaders seem to forget what the anthem stands for.
Those reactions reflect something bigger. The old anthem isn’t just sentimental—for many, it represents a hope for the nation, now sometimes overshadowed by frustration with how far Mzansi still has to go.
Wow!❤️🥹Thank you, I had genuinely forgotten we had this version of the national anthem, thank you for reminding me. My favourite part was singing “Woza moya” as a young girl. This country and its people have gone through so much 😔 🇿🇦 https://t.co/yvvrjDN1C8
— Nandi Madida (@Nandi_Madida) October 31, 2025
Why this matters now
In 2025, South Africa is two decades past the adoption of the current anthem, and yet questions of identity, language, and belonging still echo in classrooms, government buildings, and music studios. Exploring the older anthem opens a chance to reckon with how far we’ve come—but also how much is still to be done.
Madida’s tribute is more than celebrity-speak. It encourages us to listen a little deeper. To ask ourselves: Do we fully understand our anthem’s history? Do we feel the meaning behind “Woza moya”—come, Spirit—in our daily lives? Are we still singing for freedom, unity, and hope, or have we reduced it to a ceremony?
A heartbeat in our national narrative
It’s easy to take the anthem for granted. We’ve sung it at rugby matches, school assemblies, and state events. But when someone like Nandi Madida pauses and says, “Wait—I forgot this version, this meaning, this moment,” it invites us all to do the same.
So maybe it’s not just about the old anthem versus the new. It’s about remembering that songs carry stories. They echo eras. They call on us. And if we let them, they remind a nation why we sing, who we are, and who we want to become.
Source: Briefly News
Featured Image: Batswadi Magazine
