South African award-winning Afro-pop singer Bulelwa Mkutukana, popularly known as Zahara, has died at 36.

Zahara became known as South Africa’s “Country Girl,” a testament to her upbringing in the rural Eastern Cape province, but also how her award-winning music came with a highly-effective simplicity; through her voice and an acoustic guitar.

A few days ago she had been shifted to hospital with liver complications but she couldn’t survive. However the government, according to Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, had been assisting her family for some time.

Zahara received great recognition in her shorter life after releasing her album Loliwe in 2011, she became famous across Africa.

Kodwa expressed his condolence and empathy to Zahara’s family, saying:“ Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music.“

Zahara had unveiled her battle with addiction in 2019, but the impacts of craving did not leave her and she had been admitted to hospital last month.

South African media reported she passed away on Monday night in a Johannesburg hospital at the age of 36.

X users are also expressing their condolences on her death with the trending hashtag #RIPZahara.

Her fans believe that she healed many souls with her music.

Disclosing her death her family posted on her Instagram: “Zahara departed this world on Monday, 11 December 2023. She was a pure light, and an even purer heart, in this world.”

The songwriter also used her platform to raise the voice against violence faced by women in South Africa and she has been uncovering her own stories.

Zahara had seen music as the comfort for broken souls that need healing, she had expressed that view in an interview to the local radio station.