Chocolate Stigo, born Mayford Nyathi, is a multi-talented musician and dancer from Gwanda, Matshetsheni. He was born and bred in Nkashe Ward 1 and Ward 22 under the chieftainship of Chief Mbiko Masuku in Zimbabwe. Chocolate Stigo, born on 17 July 1993, did his primary education at Nkashe and South Hill primary schools. He then went on to Nkashe High School, before proceeding to study boiler making at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic.
The multipurpose Chocolate Stigo is currently based in Pretoria, South Africa where he is pursuing his music career. Born a dancer and entertainer, Mayford Nyathi’s stage name, ‘Chocolate Stigo’ befits. His colourful character and impeccable dancing skills are exuded as he sets the dance floor on fire with his dance skills. “I have been a dancer from a very tender age and my young brothers have always supported me. At that young age, one of them asked me – ” what name will you use on stage because you dance like nobody’s business? You do sweet things, chocolate-nandi-nandi-lollipop.” I did not reply to him but just kept quiet. Three days later, at a birthday party, I danced like nobody’s business. A man asked my two young brothers for my name. “it’s Chocolate Stigo.”, they emphatically responded and that is how my stage name came about.” Chocolate Stigo is also determined to live up to his name providing his audiences with nothing but only the best in terms of entertainment.
” I learnt to dance when I was seven years old and I was self-taught…I was in love with music as a dancer from school…” Stigo has always been aware that he was a unique child with a God-given talent that many can only dream of and so, continued to push himself to realize his dream.
Stigo is a proud ‘S’khothane’, whose music career was inspired by the likes of Big Nuz, Kalawa Jazme, Trompies and Alaska. He is a vocalist and makes different genres of music like House, Gqom, Afro house and Afro-pop, which he began in 2018. Stigo has two music albums under his belt. The first album titled ‘Imnandi impilo’ was released on 1 December 2020, it’s a thirteen-track album with two music videos. The other album, ‘S’cula nonstop,’ was released on 3 March 2022. This one is an eleven-track album with one music video. Chocolate Stigo takes pride in his music videos, “wachoma sokunyathela” and “Gologo” being some of his beautiful works. In them, the world gets to see just how amazing his dancing game is!
Chocolate Stigo is not one to shy away from showcasing his talent. He always leaves the crowd asking for more. Stigo has performed in different places like Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Soweto, Jozi, Tembisa, Oliven and Centurion in South Africa. Back home in Zimbabwe, he has performed in most parts of Matabeleland South such as Gwanda, Vumba, Garanyemba, Ntepe, Manama, Filabusi and Silalatshani. To boost his career, Chocolate Stigo has collaborated with various other artists like Jaycee Rapaddict from Kalawa Jazme, Jika boys group, boss Goldie yispegenege boi, Intercessor and Jassy A from Motsweding F.M South Africa. Plans for a show in Zimbabwe in April 2023 are underway and he hopes that the show will be like no other. Everyone should gear up to see this icon, Sweet Chocolate do his thing.
After completing his tertiary education at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo polytechnic, just like other youths, he went on a job search to no avail. Being a young man with the responsibility of supporting his siblings, he began selling firewood via scotch cart in Gwanda town. Although this earned him some money to support his mother and siblings, it could by no means give him security. This forced him to move to South Africa in 2012 in search of greener pastures. Upon arrival, he quickly learnt that things were not at all as glamorous and rosy as he had expected. Once again, he found himself struggling to find a job in his field of study. An opportunity to sell achar presented itself and Stigo wasted no time in taking it. Later on, he joined the construction industry, where he was when one day, as he hoped, landed a job in boiler making.
The boiler-making job was a dream come true for the smart and grateful Stigo who has maintained the job to date. “I moved to South Africa in 2012, ngaqala ngaspana ngisenza iachar ngaza kuconstruction ngishay’ifosholo ngingudakaboy, after that, I got a job in boiler making.”, he recalls. Although Stigo was now operating in his dream job in South Africa, he could never abandon his music passion and will forever be grateful to DJ Mtharimba and DJ Malackean who made music a dream come true for him. He happily narrates;
In 2019, I met DJ Mtharimba and DJ Malackean. The two helped me to record. Because I had already written some of my own tracks, I got more and soon after that, I dropped a single track whose title is “Imoto“. This track put me on the map and was my introduction to many. I pushed myself until now and those DJs pushed my music to a higher level, and l remain thankful to them.
Chocolate Stigo’s passion and zeal for music propelled him to start his own company, Stigo entertainment. According to him, “At Stigo entertainment we teach new artists how to sing, to push music and how to dance at no fee.” Stigo entertainment welcomes every talented individual between the ages of 10 and 23 years to come and learn how to do music and to learn dancing skills. Stigo has not yet received any awards or recognition and he has not submitted his name for any awards because he believes he still has to push himself to do better and to work harder.
As an artist, Stigo faces numerous challenges like any other artist in the industry. Most of the challenges are financial and impair the recording of music and creation of music videos. Moreover, the effects of COVID-19 placed many people in turmoil. Chocolate Stigo was also hard-hit by the effects of COVID-19. His career was just at its grassroots when COVID-19 hit the continent forcing his music career to come to a standstill. This, however, did not deter him as he pushed himself when COVID-19 eased, leading him to release his first album in December 2020 and his second in 2022. A determination highly commendable is what he has displayed, not only in music but also as a general trait throughout his working life. His message to other artists and the upcoming ones is, “work hard and don’t be shy to put yourself out there. Push, no one can push you to work hard but yourself, ungehluleka today, vuka uzame again tomorrow.” However, Stigo alludes to the positive results of his music career, he says bookings for performances help him financially. He has managed to raise money to record his music, do his music videos as well as fend for his family. He appreciates his God-given talent which has managed to change his life for the better.
Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe, according to Stigo is indeed a rainbow province, colourful, with a vast abundance of talent. Matabeleland South province is home to many artists from different ethnic backgrounds and some are still struggling to get recognition and showcase their talents. He believes that there is a greater need to help each other in order to discover this talent hence he launched Stigo Entertainment to help others reach their full potential in the Arts industry.
As the first born in his family, it was his goal to attain an education in order to help fend for his mother and siblings. He juggles boiler-making and music, making it seem effortless. Nyathi owes his boiler-making career to his mother who worked hard after the death of his father to take him to college. After the passing of his father, it was hard for his single mother to fend for her family, especially with the challenging economic situation in Zimbabwe. His phenomenal mother never abandoned her children, she believed that education was the key to her children’s success and she worked hard to give her children an education. Stigo describes his mother as ‘imbokodo’. A woman who went against all odds and worked hard to give her children a life better than her own. In appreciation, he expresses, “Engingakutsho kumama yikubonga kakhulu inhlonipho lothando asiphe lona lokusigcina angasideli njengabantwabakhe.Umama wathi kithi, “bantwabami umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” God bless my lovely Mom yimbokodo uGogo UmaTshili, uyasebenza umama lamanje lokhe nje ezisebenzela.” Stigo raves and brags about his mother and the two share a special bond as his mother also supports him in his music career. Stigo also made a wonderful song about his mother and saw that she features in his music video “wachoma sokunyathela.” He further says “umama yimbokodo yichocolate ice cream, vanilla stambo, my Mom is my everything.” It is beyond any reasonable doubt that Stigo has so much love and respect for his queen. It is quite obvious that with his two brothers closely following, his mother is his number one fan.
