The timing could not be more significant.
As Lusanda celebrates recognition from a programme that has already played an important role in her career, she is also preparing to complete her three-track body of work, “By The Time I Wake Up”, with the release of “Lunchbox”.
For an artist whose music is rooted in lived experience, the moment feels especially personal.
“I want people to feel something when they hear my voice,” says Lusanda. “I write from things I’ve actually been through, and if my music helps someone feel a little less alone, or helps them heal from something that’s the whole point for me.”
Lusanda’s Spotify EQUAL moment
Being selected as Spotify’s EQUAL Africa Ambassador of the Month is more than a new accolade for Lusanda.
The programme has been connected to some of the defining moments of her young career.
According to the release, EQUAL support helped Lusanda reach her first major headline show in Johannesburg. It also supported her Spotify Singles session.
That connection gives this latest recognition added meaning.
“EQUAL is the reason I got to play my first major show here in Johannesburg,” Lusanda shares. “Being part of a programme that actually puts its resources behind women artists has meant everything.”
Her words capture why the latest announcement matters. This is not simply recognition arriving from a distance. It comes from a programme that has already been part of her journey.
“Lunchbox” completes “By The Time I Wake Up”
The next chapter arrives through music.
“Lunchbox” is set for release on Friday, 11 September 2026, and closes out Lusanda’s three-track body of work, “By The Time I Wake Up”.
The project opens with “Progress” before continuing with the title track, “By The Time I Wake Up”, and concluding with “Lunchbox”.
Together, the three tracks mark another step in Lusanda’s evolving sound and songwriting journey.
The new release also continues her focus on writing from real experiences.
For Lusanda, that authenticity is central to what she wants her audience to take from her music.
A career built on defining moments
Lusanda’s rise has gathered momentum through a series of significant milestones.
Her breakthrough began in 2023, when a stripped-down cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” went viral.
That moment led to her debut single, “When You’re Around”, produced by UK producer Noxz.
She later made music history as the first South African woman featured on the Spotify Singles programme, where she delivered a reimagined version of “Mad World”.
Her journey continued with “Progress”, produced by Sunny Kale alongside Charlotte Day Wilson and Biako.
Lusanda has also collaborated with Uncle Waffles, Manana and Mörda. Her growing list of connections extends further, with the release noting her work with producer Anoop D’Souza, known for work with artists including Tems, Summer Walker, Syd and Asake.
From Ghana to a new South African chapter
“By The Time I Wake Up” also carries an international thread.
Lusanda wrote the project with producer Anoop D’Souza in South Africa after connecting with him in Ghana.
The collaboration adds another layer to a career that continues to move between creative spaces while remaining grounded in Lusanda’s South African identity.
The release also points to recent and upcoming features alongside Nasty C and Tellaman, Clxrity, and Dwson.
From ballet to contemporary R&B
There is another important part of Lusanda’s story.
Born in Durban and raised in Johannesburg, Lusanda Ngcobo is shaping her place within South Africa’s contemporary R&B scene.
Her artistic background stretches beyond music.
She has been a classically trained ballerina since the age of five and studied Theatre and Performance, with a focus on choreography, at the University of Cape Town.
That background gives another dimension to an artist whose career has continued to develop across music and performance.
In 2025, she was named to Apple Music’s Africa Rising Class.
Now, in September 2026, Spotify has placed her at the centre of its EQUAL Africa platform as its Artist and Ambassador of the Month.
Meet Lusanda in Braamfontein
For fans who want to experience the new body of work beyond streaming, Lusanda will host an intimate Track by Track listening session at &Friends/Mamakashaka in Braamfontein on 17 September.
The session will give audiences an opportunity to hear Lusanda take them through the full maxi in her own words, with special added surprises planned for the experience.
It arrives just six days after “Lunchbox” lands on streaming platforms.
A new release with a bigger story
There is something fitting about Lusanda completing “By The Time I Wake Up” at the same time that Spotify shines its EQUAL spotlight on her.
Her story is one of movement.
From a viral cover in 2023 to her debut single. From the Spotify Singles stage to her first major Johannesburg headline show. From collaborations across the African music landscape to a growing place in contemporary R&B.
Now comes “Lunchbox”.
And with it, Lusanda closes one musical chapter while opening another.
“Lunchbox” and the full maxi single will be available on all streaming platforms from Friday, 11 September 2026.
For Lusanda, the goal remains beautifully simple: make people feel something.
And that may be the most powerful part of the story.
