‘Isfiso Sami’ finds love with Maskandi tune

Romantic commitment amid the noise of modern love forms the central theme in a new song from Afro-soul vocalist Dr Smama and Mafikizolo lead singer Nhlanhla Mafu.

The isiZulu track, titled Isfiso Sami, is the pair’s first recording together despite two decades of friendship. The title translates as “My Wish”, and the song was released earlier this month (4 September 2026). Dr Smama has written material for South African performers including Berita, Nokwazi, Thembisile Ntaka and the late Lundi Tyamara.

Isfiso Sami places the acoustic guitar associated with Maskandi, a Zulu folk-music genre rooted in guitar-led storytelling, within a contemporary Afro-soul arrangement. The pairing supports a love song about vulnerability, devotion and the conscious decision to stand beside another person despite outside pressure.

Afro-soul vocalist Silindile Smama. Photo supplied.

Isfiso Sami represents the first time in Dr Smama’s professional recording career that he has performed a composition written by someone else.

“If you only sing your own songs, you stay inside your comfort zone,” he says.

Dr Smama describes the Maskandi character of the track as an immediate attraction that challenged him to move beyond his usual gospel-soul space and enter another songwriter’s story.

“It is not just a song about romance; it presents love as an intentional, vulnerable choice to stand by someone despite outside noise.”

The collaboration had been developing on a far longer timeline. Dr Smama and Mafu met early in their respective careers, but waited for a composition that would offer something different from the sound audiences commonly associate with Mafikizolo.

Mafu says: “We have been friends for over two decades, so working together was always inevitable, but we wanted something that felt distinct and honest.

“When I heard Isfiso Sami, I was sold instantly. You simply do not hear people express devotion or declare love like this anymore. It captures a depth of lyricism and traditional storytelling that our industry has slowly been losing to quick digital trends.”

The “Dr” in Dr Smama is not simply part of his stage name. The singer, Sindile Simama, holds an MBChB from the University of Cape Town and is a practising medical doctor. His music draws on African storytelling, soul and gospel traditions, while his album Isipho earned a SAMA30 nomination. He has appeared as a featured artist on ZukoSA’s He Who Sent Me Tour.

Mafu’s contribution connects the single to one of South Africa’s most established Afro-pop acts, but the collaboration deliberately steps away from an expected Mafikizolo-style feature. Maskandi guitar instead gives the song an acoustic foundation that places older storytelling traditions alongside present-day concerns about fleeting digital relationships.

* Listen to ‘Isfiso Sami’ on YouTube Music here.

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