With only a few seconds to choose a song that best represents South Africa, radio personality Mike V went into a mental scramble trying to pick just one. He went for a golden oldie and now he’s thrown the challenge to Mzansi: Did he nail it, or did he do South Africa dirty?
Johannesburg, South Africa (17 July 2025) – What song comes to mind when you think about the bold nation that is South Africa? This was the high-pressure question directed to radio personality Mike V recently, and we think it’s safe to say he broke a sweat trying to decide on just one.
In a funny video, Mike shared about how a colleague who works on radio in Ireland asked him about his experiences in South Africa. At the end of the interview, Mike was asked what one song he’d recommend for every Irish person to listen to that best represents South Africa – shu, tough one!
With only a couple of seconds to respond, Mike panicked as he scrambled through his mental jukebox.
“I thought about Tyla obviously, I thought about Dlala and Zee Nxumalo because it’s the biggest song in the country right now. I thought about Will Linley, I thought about some easy options like Nkalakatha or Jerusalema,” Mike said.
“My gut said go new school, something really relevant right now, like maybe Major League Djs and Jorja Smith, but my heart said something else, and so with the few seconds I had left, I went for a local classic. I know this song is old, I know your parents loved it probably, but surely every South African finds this song living in their hearts, in their minds, in their soul…”
Cue his ultimate song of choice: Sipho Hotstix Mabuse’s Burn Out!
“I have no regrets. None,” Mike laughed.
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These Surprising Leopards of South Africa Also Deserve Some Love!Mike encouraged South Africans to share their thoughts on whether he did a good job or did Mzansi dirty, and users gladly joined in the musical debate.
His Instagram post’s comments section was riddled with banter, approvals, light-hearted criticisms and other awesome song suggestions, which all just go to show how incredibly diverse our music and artistry truly is.
Sources: Mike V
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