Born Sanelisiwe Twisha in Gqebera, South Africa, Moonchild Sanelly has become an icon of the nation’s electronic music scene. Experimental and confrontational, her lyrics explore themes related to women empowerment, liberation, and pleasure, while her music synthesizes local genres—such as amapiano, gqom, and kwaito—with punk, hip-hop, and jazz. A veteran collaborator, she has featured on tracks by Beyoncé, Gorillaz, and Die Antwoord. WePresent interviewed Sanelly in 2022, ahead of the release of her sophomore record, “Phases.”