Culture Craze
Kwesta’s ‘Spirit’ Returns to Unite South Africa in Nando’s New Era Advert
A Song That Never Lost Its Flame
Some songs trend for a season. Others settle into the country’s bloodstream and never leave. Kwesta’s Spirit belongs to the latter. Released in 2017 with American rapper Wale, the track did far more than dominate charts. It became a cultural marker, a reminder of the rhythm, resilience, and humour that shape township life.
By 2025, Spirit will remain one of the most recognisable South African hip-hop songs ever created. It has more than seventeen million views on YouTube and continues to gather streams in the millions. Its return to the national spotlight happened again this year when Nando’s selected it as the soundtrack for the brand’s new advert.
Nando’s Taps Into a National Feeling
The new advert brings together three powerful South African voices. Legendary broadcaster Mam Noxolo Grootboom narrates it. Kwesta steps into the frame. And Rachel, a Nando’s employee who unexpectedly went viral on TikTok for her strikingly deep voice, joins the cast.
Their pairing was not planned in a boardroom. It emerged from a social media moment. Rachel’s voice caught attention for sounding uncannily similar to Kwesta’s, sparking memes and playful debates. When Kwesta surprised her at her workplace to meet his vocal twin, the clip travelled across timelines and instantly warmed the country.
This moment later shaped the direction of the advert. According to Melusi Mhlungu, Chief Creative Officer at We Are Bizarre, Kwesta’s presence influenced the tone and narrative of the campaign. For him, Spirit has always been an ode to South Africa, making it the perfect anchor for a story about who we are and what we carry.
A Song That Mirrors the Country
Spirit does not rely on heavy lyricism to communicate its message. It uses the chorus, beat, and nostalgic imagery to celebrate township youth who grow up with big dreams, fierce humour, and the determination to rise.
The song feels like a taxi ride through Katlehong. It sounds like a Sunday afternoon street game in Soweto. It lives in birthday celebrations, graduation parties, and major sporting victories. It is one of those tracks that can stop a conversation because everyone is suddenly singing.
Over the years, the song has resurfaced during major national moments. Youth events. Street celebrations. Stadium crowds. Heritage Month playlists. Township gatherings where it still gets the same eruption it did in 2017.
@nandos_southafrica That moment when your fave sounds like your other fave? You said @bass.baby5 ♬ original sound – Nando’s ZA – Nando’s South Africa
Why It Still Resonates in 2025
South Africans often describe Spirit as a track that reminds the nation of its shared rhythm. Not a perfect rhythm, but a real one. A rhythm made of humour, unity, and ubuntu, even in difficult times.
Its endurance says something important. Many songs speak to a moment. Spirit speaks to a people. Brands do not pick songs by accident. When a track is chosen eight years later to anchor national storytelling, it signals emotional permanence.
A New Era for Nando’s
Mhlungu calls the advert much more than a campaign. To him, it marks a new chapter for the brand, one that embraces local voices and the cultural energy that shapes South Africa’s identity. The story honours the idea that the country itself is the ingredient that makes Nando’s special.
As he put it, South Africans are made with flavour and fire. Whatever this thing is that the country carries, may it never fade.
Kwesta’s Spirit embodies exactly that feeling. It is not just a song. It is a pulse.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: News24
