Earlier this year Canaan Nyathi decided he was done. "The Gospel scene became a nightmare," the singer told The Herald, describing a 2026 in which he says he was turned on by people close to him and lost hope in his music career.[1] One day he resolved to stop, and a man from Zimbabwe who is close to him talked him out of it, telling him he would yet tour the world with Jesus.[1]
He has not named the people involved or the man who stepped in. What came next was the biggest week of his year. In October he recorded a 20-track live project in Johannesburg, then collected Africa Male Artist of the Year in Lagos.
An altar at Carnival City
The recording, "God and a New Song", took place on 3 October at Carnival City's Big Top Arena in Johannesburg, under the theme "Building an Altar for Jesus", and doubled as his 40th birthday celebration.[2] It is his third live DVD project, following a catalogue that includes "Judah Praise Experience" and "Another Level of Grace Upon Grace".[2][3]
He calls it the best thing he has made, and says he did not count the cost, which he put at "millions" without naming a currency.[1] The stage was built as an altar. The songs move through English, isiZulu, isiNdebele, Shona and Setswana, with choreography drawn from Setswana and Zulu dance and medleys borrowed from different church traditions.[2]
That language list says a lot about where he sits. Billed as a one-man show, the night still made room for Everton Mlalazi, plus two younger singers, Tabiso and Musawenkosi, whom Nyathi says he wanted to lift up.[2]
The Lagos award, and how it works
At Solution Arena on 9 October, CLIMA Africa, the Christian Legendary and Impact Makers Awards in Africa, marked its 10th anniversary with Nyathi as Africa Male Artist of the Year. Mlalazi took the Africa Global Music Impact Award on the same night.[4]
There is one detail worth knowing. Unlike a show where envelopes are opened on the night, CLIMA published its full list of honourees, Nyathi included, on 25 September, about two weeks before the ceremony and a week before the Johannesburg recording.[5] So the night in Lagos was a presentation rather than a surprise. It does not make the award mean less to him, and he credits it with restoring his hope, but it does mean the good news may have reached him before the big show.[1]
The list also gives his country as South Africa, and the South African gospel press calls him a South African singer.[5][6] Both countries have a fair claim. He comes from Bulawayo and has built his career across the border.[7]
Why his story travels
Nyathi already had a serious record before this year. "Baba Ziveze" won Song of the Year at the 2020 SABC Crown Gospel Awards, beating acts including Kelly Khumalo and Vusi Nova, and he was named best gospel artist at the 2023 Crown awards.[7][8] He is also a familiar voice with Spirit of Praise, which released a video in August of his performance of "Umusa" from its 11th project.[9]
Moving south gave him a bigger stage, but not necessarily security. Spotify shows about 33,500 monthly listeners and around 710,000 plays for the live "Baba Ziveze" when we checked this week,[3] which is solid for a regional gospel act, and he says he did not look at the cost of this recording before going ahead.
That is why his account of this year is worth reading. A singer can hold a national award, sing with one of the region's best known gospel groups, and still come close to walking away. "I was persecuted by the people I loved the most," he said.[1] Others in the scene have not responded publicly in anything we have read, so that remains his side alone.
What comes next
There is no release date yet in the coverage for "God and a New Song". When it lands, it will be the first real test of whether the unity pitch, five languages on one stage, reaches past his existing audience. For now he has a recent single, "Johanisi", released in July,[10] a trophy from Lagos, and by his own telling a reason to carry on.
Sources
Nyathi turns pain into praise after CLIMA triumph, The Herald ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Altar of praise at 40: Canaan Nyathi celebrates milestone with spectacular recording, The Herald ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Everton Mlalazi, Canaan Nyathi shine at Clima Africa awards, The Herald ↩︎
Clima Africa 2026 Unveils Official Honourees, GMusicPlus ↩︎ ↩︎
Takie Ndou Wins Southern Africa Artist of the Year at CLIMA Africa, Gospel Music Magazine ↩︎
What a night of worship at the Crown Gospel Music Awards, Joburgstyle ↩︎
Spirit Of Praise Releases Umusa Video Featuring Canaan Nyathi, Gospel Music Magazine ↩︎
Researched and drafted with the help of AI tools, then fact-checked and edited by our team. How we work.
