A 23-year-old singer-songwriter from a small village in South Africa is taking that country’s music scene by storm. Her name is Zahara, and her album, Loliwe (‘train’ in the Xhosa language) has sold like wildfire since its release a few weeks back.

The World’s Alex Gallafent profiles Zahara in her new home, Johannesburg, as she reflects on a meteoric rise that has taken everyone by surprise, not least herself.

And she tells the story of how she recently performed a private concert for one of her heroes: Nelson Mandela.