From the streets of Bloemfontein to the global deejaying hub of Ibiza, afrohouse DJ TCEE started out his musical journey over ten years ago and is fast becoming one of the country’s nascent ambassadors behind the turntables.
The man of the decks featured in this year’s installment of Tomorrowland, one of the world’s well-renowned electronic and DJing hubs and a rendezvous place for DJs and producers from every nook of the world. Joining the likes of past alumni such as compatriot DJ Kent, who also performed in the same event before TCEE, he flaunted his chops during the first week of August 2026.
“Tomorrowland gives a platform to up-and-coming DJs who show a lot of potential across the world. That’s where the who’s who of the electronic world get together, so I was lucky enough to be identified by them and be picked to perform at their spot in Ibiza to showcase my stuff,” he said.
TCEE | SUPPLIED
Treading in the footsteps of Grammy winner Black Coffee and flag-bearing musician Shimza, TCEE spoke about his three-month residency in Ibiza with Ibiza Sonica Radio. Building on the work he did in the United Kingdom over three years when he got residency in the country, he also shared what the Ibiza development meant to him and his career.
“Scoring a residency in Ibiza is a big deal for me. I was fortunate to have a residency at the biggest radio station there, Ibiza Sonica. If you are a DJ—whether you do EDM, techno or whatever—you’ll know that Ibiza is the only place to launch a career as a global DJ. Being there means you have the ears of everybody you expose your music to, and it also helps with covering a lot of ground. I could even say that being in Ibiza via a residency is like skipping the line to get the opportunity to showcase yourself. The radio station is actually how I even learned of Tomorrowland,” he said.
The DJ touched on some of his plans for the rest of the year.
“Last year I released the deluxe version of my EP, Angels. This year, I’m looking to drop Angels 2, and my initial plan was and still is to release it after I’m done with Ibiza. I’m looking at dropping this new work mid-August,” he said.
TCEE | SUPPLIED
A self-made rising star who is already making gingerly but world-sized moves in the dance scene, TCEE talked about how he wanted people to remember him.
“When people look at my career, I want them to see a musician who didn’t stop trying. A person who had patience and someone who did it his own way. I’m not a DJ who was cosigned by anybody, and I still don’t know people in the industry. I did it my own way from scratch, and I continue to make music with patience and resilience,” he said.
International in his ambition yet purely Mzansi at heart, TCEE highlighted the importance of being fluid and adaptable for the sake of the art’s evolution.
“Adapting is important if you want to grow. For example, with my previous album, I had to do a deluxe because the music I had on the standard version was different from the music I added. I added three songs to the EP, songs that were a little more bouncy and relatable. Concerning my upcoming music, I’ve noticed that my brand has grown in the European side of the market. Because of this, I’ve adapted my music style, so my next music will have an international feel, and it will represent where I am as a brand. The afrohouse and afro-tech will be much more global in sound, though I will keep the South African feel to the sound,” he said.
TCEE | SUPPLIED
TCEE mentioned some of the names he wished to collaborate with in the future.
“I would love to work with Louise Carver someday, to have her do the vocals in one of my songs. This question is making me reach out for a lot of dreams I’ve always had,” he said, laughing. “I’d also love to have songs with Nana Atta and Lizwi. Time will tell, but I would love to collaborate with more South African vocalists.”
The DJ visualised himself as one of the greats in the world of EDM and tech music in the years to come.
“I see myself up there as one of the Top 100 DJs in the world. I am aware that this is something that will take time, so I am willing to be patient. I see a future within the afrohouse and afrotech because we already own Ibiza—Tomorrowland was nothing but South Africans all over the place,” he said.
