South African singer Naledi Aphiwe has officially put rumours to rest, revealing that her widely publicised romantic relationship with fellow artist Mawelele was never real, but a calculated publicity strategy to promote their music.
In an exclusive interview with Sowetan Online publication, the 19-year-old star explained that the pair’s perceived romance was staged to build momentum around their hit duet Romeo & Juliet, which went on to become a major success.
“It was all publicity for our music, and I thank everyone for believing in it,” Aphiwe told Sowetan on Thursday, 15 January 2026. “So, yes, I’m not, and never was, in a relationship with Mawelele. The only thing Mawelele would do was kiss me on the forehead, but that was it.”
Naledi Aphiwe, who rose to international attention after featuring on a Chris Brown track, said the decision to come clean was driven by respect for their real-life partners. According to the singer, both she and Mawelele are currently in relationships, making it increasingly difficult to maintain the illusion.
“We were together for our music, but we never dated,” she said. “If you look closely at our pictures, you won’t see any kissing ones; it was all staged. We couldn’t carry on like we were dating when we had partners. It was getting to a point where our partners couldn’t understand that we had to do certain things to convince the public we were a couple.”
The revelation follows confusion among fans after the duo announced their “break-up,” especially after their song Romeo & Juliet won Best African Pop Song at the 2025 Metro FM Music Awards. Entertainment commentator Jabu McDonald had previously shared news of their win on X, further reinforcing public belief that the two were romantically involved.
Despite the truth coming out, Aphiwe stressed that nothing has changed professionally between her and Mawelele. She revealed that the stunt was maintained for most of 2025 and served its intended purpose.
“Nothing has changed. This was a stunt we had to keep up with for most of 2025,” she said. “However, we will continue to release music together.”
The duo is already preparing to drop a new song titled Come Duze, signalling that their creative partnership remains strong.
Naledi Aphiwe has kicked off 2026 on a high note, earning a nomination for Best African Duo or Group in R&B alongside Mawelele at the upcoming 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), further cementing her rising status in the music industry.
While the romance may have been fictional, the success of their collaboration proves that, for Naledi Aphiwe and Mawelele, the music was always the real love story.
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