ð“‚€ AM CHIEFTIWALA
Tswarelo Twala better known as ChiefTiwala was born and raised in Game, Hazyview, South Africa. His connection to music began early at just three years old, his grandmother bought him a toy guitar. From that moment, music became instinctive. He sang along to his favourite songs, mimicked melodies, and slowly began to understand sound as a form of expression long before he knew it could be a career.
In 2010, at the age of 13, ChiefTiwala officially began making music. School desks turned into drum kits, and classrooms became freestyle arenas as he and his friends played hit tables and rapped during breaks. In 2011, a friend from elementary school introduced him to a local producer, Slow Digit, who ran a studio called SD Rock Entertainment. That same year, at just 14 years old, he walked into a studio for his first ever recording session.
Before leaving that studio, curiosity took over. He asked for the software used to make the music, and Slow Digit handed him demo versions of FL Studio 7 and Cubase 2. ChiefTiwala installed them on his uncle’s computer and from that moment on, everything changed. With nothing but YouTube tutorials, countless data bundles, and determination, he taught himself how to produce beats and record music from his uncle’s bedroom. He stopped going to other studios entirely.
Growth, Setbacks & Recognition
He shared his early songs with friends via Bluetooth, and soon, strangers were passing his house playing his music loudly on LC mobile phones. Schoolmates began calling him a celebrity. He started performing his amateur songs at school events and quickly built a name for himself around Hazyview.
In 2013, life took a turn. After failing Grade 10, his parents restricted access to his uncle’s computer so he could focus on school. Music paused. By the time he finished Grade 12, the computer was no longer working, forcing him back into other people’s studios. Ironically, this is when demand for his talent grew. Artists began recognising his ear and skill, and within a short time, he became known as one of the best producers and beatmakers in his town.
By 2017, ChiefTiwala started releasing his own music online and receiving radio airplay, which significantly expanded his fan base. In 2018, his impact was formally recognised when he was nominated at the BFM Awards, where he won Best Newcomer.
Expansion, Education & Vision
In 2019, driven to sharpen both his craft and career, he moved to Johannesburg. He enrolled at Central Johannesburg College, where he completed a Diploma in Studio Work, specialising in production, arranging, music theory, and sound engineering while actively pursuing his music career.
In 2020, he founded his own record label, developing and nurturing emerging talents such as Thalie MaMbooica, MeloCedric, Laćole, and Narly Kawaii. From 2022 onwards, ChiefTiwala’s work expanded beyond his hometown, leading to collaborations with established artists including Emtee, Saudi, Diamond Platnumz, Chad Da Don, and more, just to name a few.
Today, armed with both lived experience and formal training, ChiefTiwala continues to build a body of work rooted in authenticity, growth, and intention. His story is one of curiosity, resilience, and self-belief, a journey from a toy guitar in Hazyview to shaping music on a national scale.
