For South African DJ and aspiring record producer Tevin “Golden Uncle SA” William, the pipeline between dreaming of the turntables to commanding them has been anything but overnight. Built on his grit, his growing digital presence and his determination to push beyond the ceiling placed on young creatives from ekasi like himself, the rising DJ is steadily turning what was once laughed off as an impossible dream into a testimony. But for him, the music is only the beginning, with bigger ambitions spanning production, international stages and, ultimately, using his influence to open doors and give back to others.
William talked about how proud he was of his current position as a burgeoning disc jockey.
“I would say that I feel very proud of myself and how far I have come as a DJ. Because getting here took me years and years of hard work—blood, sweat, and tears—and after my debut performance, I feel like everything has gone smoothly. People used to ask me what my dreams were, and they would laugh at me when I told them what I wanted to achieve because that’s how it is growing up in the kasi. It’s a place where people normally think things are not possible,” he said.
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With the know-how of setting the roof on fire behind the decks, William talked about his ambition of branching into music production as well as scoring a record deal.
“One of my biggest plans moving forward is to learn the craft of producing music. I’m also looking to headline some shows and possibly get signed by a proper label. As proud as I am of being a DJ and how far I have come, that’s my next goal because music is not just what I listen to but a passion as well,” he said.
Golden Uncle cited amapiano star DBN Gogo as his primary influence in taking on the journey to becoming a DJ.
“DBN Gogo has been in the industry for years, and she’s a very humble person, and I admire the way that she carries herself with grace. When I wanted to become a DJ, she was the artist I was looking at the most, not just for the craft but also because I’m such a huge fan of her,” he said.
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The DJ talked about growth and the culture of getting paid what his skills are worth.
“It took me years to build my social media presence. I practically grew up on the internet. East London is a small town, and I do feel like I need to get out because there you’ll be booked for a show and get paid R500 that goes with a six-pack of Savanna. Imagine that. Because of that culture, I’ve been declining the offers to DJ a lot because my rates are expensive and they go beyond the half a thousand with a six pack. My rate is the way it is because of my social media presence, the very thing I’ve spent so long building so that I have an audience I can rock to,” he said.
Beyond using the music for personal gain and glory, Golden Uncle spoke about his hopes of using his reach for good and giving back to the less fortunate.
“I want influence. I know that with the DJing I can get that, I’d like to use that in the world, and to do charity shows and events. To go to homes and orphanages. I want God to use my pockets and my music to bless the next person,” he said.
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Tevin shared what he desired the most out of his music.
“I always see myself becoming an international DJ. I want to be known, and by that I’m not talking about being just famous; it’s like what I was saying earlier—I want influence. I want influence in order to make a change in the world,” he said.
