Throwback alert: Mmusi Maimane's kwaito days from the 2000s have gone viral

Who would have thought that before suits and speeches, there was rhythm and rhyme for South African politician, Mmusi Maimane?

Just recently, social media users were stunned after a throwback video of the BOSA leader during his kwaito days resurfaced online.

A social media user took to X to share a video of Maimane performing what would be one of his kwaito songs on SABC 1’s 2000s show, “Crux”, alongside his dancers.

“Did you all know that Dr Maimane (Mjita wako kasi) was an aspiring kwaito star?” @Sentletse captioned the post.

This video sparked a buzz on the internet as netizens found it amusing that Maimane was a part of the music industry.

“Lol, this is funny,” one social media user wrote.

Another user commented: “He comes a long way.” 

While another user added, “I kinda remember this song, but I had forgotten the face. This was part of a Christmas carol release with a Kwaito feel. I don’t remember the year, though.”

Even though this was a shocker to many, the 45-year-old politician had been in the limelight for quite some time before venturing into politics.

In the 2000s, Maimane was a model, and he graced a magazine cover for “Sunday Times Magazine”, which was also shared.

“Wasn’t he a model as well? It seems Mmusi did everything,” @IsraelMoukangwe shared.

In the magazine, he went by his middle name Aloysias, and he posed alongside the late TV star Precious Simelane and Kim Adams.

According to “The Citizen”, Maimane became a pastor and an elder at Liberty Church, dedicating his life to serving his community and addressing social issues from a spiritual perspective. 

A few years after being a pastor, he began his political journey with one of the most popular political parties in SA, the Democratic Alliance (DA).

In 2014, he made history after he got elected as the first black leader of the DA; however, he resigned from his position in 2019.

Maimane founded his own political party, Build One South Africa (BOSA), in 2022.