He made it! It has been a year of juggling his blooming Amapiano music career from stage performances, production and school life. But Amapiano singer Sipho Mbonambi, best known as Mfana Ka Gogo, has passed his Grade 12.

HE DID IT

He admits to ZiMoja that it was not easy balancing high school and music. 'It needed a lot of discipline. It was not easy.' Mfana KaGogo dedicated some of his weekends to studying and every chance he got away from the music, was for studying. "I knew it was possible to balance both. It just needed a lot of discipline.' Balancing school and work was also to help inspire his peers at Fundinduku Secondary in Castlekop, Nteke, in Kwa-Zulu Natal. "I love music, but I also want to be a businessman I see myself creating employment for a lot of South Africans,' he says. "Fame comes and goes, I know that I might not be famous forever, but my business acumen will always remain.

HIS RISE

He started singing gospel music at church. His uncle was a hip-hop musician, and though he never became famous, Mfana Kah Gogo learned from him and developed an interest in the genre. He pursued Amapiano a year or two ago after seeing that the two genres have a connection. "I love making inspirational music that talks about real-life situations. Some of my songs area reflection of my life and how I was raised by my grandmother along with five other grandkids and orphans.'

BUILDING HIS MOM A HOUSE AT 19 YEARS OLD

Last year, he started building his mom an eight-bedroom house at 19 years old from money he made through music. "That has always been my dream to take my mom out of her two-room house and into an eight-bedroom,' he says."Family comes first to me.' This year he plans to take a gap year and focus on his music. "I would like to further my studies, but this year, I will be focusing on music.'