DJ Okapi runs Afrosynth Records, a label unearthing and preserving South African ‘bubblegum’ disco and kwaito from the 80s and 90s, as well as showcasing today’s local jazz scene. Born in Cape Town and DJing since the early 2000s, he moved to Johannesburg in 2009 to dig deeper into SA’s vast musical history.

From 2016 to 2019 he sold records from his now-defunct shop in downtown Jozi and enjoyed a string of notable international gigs including Boiler Room in London, Dekmantel Selectors and Dimensions in Croatia, and Nuits Sonores in France, also touring Asia and Brazil – cementing his reputation among record nerds as an ambassador of the roots of SA dance music. More recently he contributed regular mixes to Kiosk Radio’s ‘Outsiders’ series and A11 Radio.

We had the privilege of being able to have a chat with him and he also recorded a special mix for us.