Every year ahead of Splashy Fen we catch up with a local muso taking to the festival stages, and this year it’s impossible not to be drawn to the bright, bold energy of Jemma Kate.
Singer-songwriter, independent recording artist, founder of Freedom Dance DBN, and a mum of two little girls … Jemma Kate is a woman balancing multiple worlds, and doing so with honesty, heart and a whole lot of colour.
Born in Cape Town and raised in Durban as the youngest of four siblings, Jemma grew up in a creative, music-filled home. Her earliest memory of music is her parents buying her a mic and amp for her birthday. “I tortured my neighbours daily with my eight-year-old vocals at full volume, because how else, honestly?” she laughs.
Performing, she says, was never really a choice, it was instinctive. She discovered her love for dance at just three years old and later turned to songwriting as a teenager. “Some people journal, I found my healing through songwriting.”
Her journey into performance began with dance, moving through theatre, cruise liners and stages across South Africa and beyond, including Wembley in the UK, before music began calling louder. Singing in church at 12 years old, performing in school productions and eventually writing her own songs, Jemma realised that music offered something deeply powerful.
“Every audience member has a different story,” she says. “One song can move people in completely different ways.”
So far, music has taken her on adventures she still can’t quite believe, and sharing stages with some of the country’s finest, like Mango Groove, Ndlovu Youth Choir and Jesse Clegg. A standout moment was opening for Mango Groove, a band she grew up dancing to with her dad. “It was truly a bucket list item,” she says. “We even chose Special Star for our father-daughter dance.”
Today, Jemma describes her sound as pure pop with an Afro flair – a running joke in her band, who know that for every cover it will inevitably be asked, ‘Can we do this Afro-pop style?’ Her music is bright, energetic and bold, much like her stage persona. Off stage, however, she is far more understated.
“I live in neutral, earthy tones. Colour is my stage personality. I decided to paint the town bright when I perform,” she says.
Durban remains home, specifically Umhlanga, where she lives close to the beach, great coffee shops and, importantly, her mum. She and her husband are raising their two daughters, aged four and one, and Jemma is refreshingly honest about the juggle. Alongside motherhood, she works full-time in IT, runs Freedom Dance DBN and continues to pursue her music career. “It’s tough,” she admits. “There are days when I feel despondent, especially seeing artists who have more time and fewer responsibilities. But this season has shaped a new era in my music, one I’m very excited about.”
That new era includes fresh releases, collaborations, and an EP in the works, as well as a return to theatre with Big Top Rock – a circus-themed show running from March to May at Suncoast’s Barnyard Theatre. She also has plans for more collaborations this year, including working with the incredible EGGSTA, who she describes as one of the most humble and hardworking musicians she’s ever met.
One of Jemma’s proudest creations outside of music is Freedom Dance DBN, which she founded in 2018. After years of professional dancing left her injured and disillusioned, she stepped away, only to later realise she never wanted others to lose their love for dance the way she had.
She built Freedom Dance around joy, encouragement and community, not criticism or perfection. Today, it is a thriving, welcoming space for women and children, with studios in Umhlanga and Ballito, and some of her Freedom dancers will even be joining her on stage at Splashy this year.
Speaking of Splashy Fen, it is a festival that holds special meaning for Jemma. She has attended twice, and performed twice, with a standout moment arriving in 2025 when she was invited to play the Main Stage. “I cried,” she admits. “It felt like a moment where all of the sacrifices started to make sense.”
What she loves most about Splashy is its heart – the organisation, the family-friendly atmosphere and the genuine sense of community. Camping did not come naturally at first.
Her first year involved a tiny tent, freezing temperatures and an early-morning escape, but now she has fully embraced the experience, warm blankets, sunrise coffees an d soaking up the music with her husband by her side.
This year she is staying for the full festival, with her kids cheering her on from afar, arriving with new music and fresh ideas and possibly even playing an instrument herself on stage. “I’ve challenged myself,” she grins. “Let’s see.”
As for what audiences can expect? Colour. Energy. Heart. And music shaped by real life, motherhood, faith, resilience and joy.
“I’m learning to honour the season I’m in,” Jemma says. “Less gigs, more writing, more intention. I’m stepping into what I feel called to, as an artist and as a mum.”
If Splashy Fen is about music that connects, uplifts and brings people together, then Jemma Kate is exactly where she belongs.
Details:….. You can follow Jemma on socials
IG: @jemmakatemusic and
FB: @jemma.kate.badenhorst
Bookings: hello@jemmakatemusic.com
Jemma’s ultimate Easter road-trip playlist
A fun, festival-ready playlist to get you in the Splashy mood
- Gold – Myles Smith
• Where Is My Husband – RAYE
• Makeba – Jain
• Stay – Myles Smith
• Fire Fire – Shimza
• Fabulous – C.U.T
• Purple Hat – Sofi Tukker
• No Broke Boys – Disco Lines
• Unforgettable – Luminae
• Lush Life – Zara Larsson
