Miss Dimples wants to lead by example as a woman DJ

Despite not winning the Smirnoff 1818 Shaya Ingoma Female DJ Search competition, Itani “Miss Dimples” Divhula still wants to share her music with the world.

The 25-year-old DJ from Louis Trichardt ended up among this year’s Top 10 finalists. The crowning of the nationwide contest, which commenced in October of 2021, took place at Nsimbini Lifestyle in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, on 12 March this year.

While Nompumelelo Hlatswayo was crowned the lucky winner, Miss Dimples and the eight other finalists each received a R50 000 cash prize, 15-min sets on one of South Africa’s national radio stations, a curated Spotify playlist, two months of PR management, Smirnoff 1818 Shaya Ingoma activations and battle sets to establish their careers in South Africa.

Miss Dimples thanked her fans for showing their support by voting for her. “I am grateful for the love and support my fans showed me. They can expect only the best from me from here on; I promise to make them dance and give them good music.”

She said that being in the competition had made her grow musically. “It has been an amazing experience. I feel that I have really grown as an artist. The fact that I was among the Top 10, out of a thousand other women who entered this competition, means the world to me and I’m looking forward to doing more great work.” 

Miss Dimples said that the fact that she was a female in this male-dominated industry motivated her to work even harder. “I wanted to lead by example and show people that we need more women in this industry. Of course, I look up to DJ Zinhle, and seeing her flourishing also encourages me not give up on my dreams.”

She said that female DJs still faced challenges of being undermined in the industry. “As a woman, you are always doubted. We often have to prove ourselves first before they will believe we can actually do this. People can take advantage of us, so we really have to stand up for ourselves.”

Miss Dimples advised young upcoming DJs to always go for what they want and not be discouraged. “Take risks and always have someone to look up to, so that one day, when you feel like quitting, you can just go to their profile and say to yourself: if she can do it, then why can’t I? There will be many times when you will feel discouraged. You will make mistakes when playing, but what’s important is fixing them and trying to get better.”

Miss Dimples is available on all media platforms, including Instagram (miss_dimplezz), Facebook (Itie Dimple Dee Divhula as well as Miss Dimples), Twitter (dimplezzdj) and WhatsApp at 067 175 8876.

Entertainment - Date: 23 April 2022

Maanda Bele

Maanda  Bele, born and raised in Nzhelele Siloam, studied journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology.

He is passionate about current news and international affairs.

He worked as part of the Zoutnet team as an intern in 2017.

He is currently a freelance journalist specialising in news from the Vhembe district.

Email: [email protected]