Bok Test — Gqeberha's Belinda Davids thrilled to sing national anthem at home for first time

Daily Maverick

2 days ago

After years of performing on global stages and singing the national anthem for the Springboks, Gqeberha-born powerhouse Belinda Davids will finally do it on home turf — when South Africa takes on Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. For the singer, best known for her celebrated Whitney Houston tribute, it's more than a gig — it's a homecoming.
This weekend, when the Boks take on Italy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha-born singer Belinda Davids will be doing something she's never done before: perform Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika in the city where she grew up. While she has sung the anthem at other Test matches, this is the first time on home ground.
'You have no idea how exciting this is for me, because I get to do it at home, what an honour. And it's long overdue, to be honest. I can't wait!'
Davids will not be the only Nelson Mandela Bay resident back home for the Saturday match. The Bay's connection to this team runs deep – captain Siya Kolisi is from Gqeberha and Rassie Erasmus, the coach who has been instrumental in shaping the team's recent dominance, is from Despatch.
As the Boks prepare for kick-off, Davids is getting performance-ready in her own way. As with every performance, she's getting her voice ready in her tried-and-tested way — warming up her voice and sipping her signature tea blend. 'It's a mixture of ginger, lemon, cloves, all that good stuff,' she says.
From Kudu Street, Gelvandale, in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha, Davids says she and her six siblings had a happy childhood.
'We really had a beautiful childhood, playing with parents in the streets and just being kids. I enjoyed it very much.'
At 20, Davids moved to Dubai to expand her music career, later spending time in London and Hong Kong, performing in major hotels and clubs.
'We no longer have parents, but my siblings and I are still very close. I'm smack in the middle, chronologically, and I'm basically the 'mother' sibling.'
Three of her siblings still live in Gqeberha and are excited about watching the game. 'More than seeing me singing, really, they don't care. To them, I'll always be their sister Linda or Lala.'
Davids lives in Cape Town with her husband, Simone Romanato – an Italian musician, and let's just say, this weekend, they may not be all that aligned on who they want to win.
'Although rugby is not that big in Italy, he still hopes Italy will win. I know South Africa will win. We don't have any bets placed, but yeah, the mood is conflicted, haha!'
And of course, with every iconic performance comes an extraordinary outfit. Davids is keeping those details under wraps — though she did drop a few hints. 'What I can say is that I'm wearing a local designer, but nothing custom-made. If I were to have something made, I'd choose Manila Von Teez as the designer.'
Once the anthem has echoed through the stadium, Davids will turn her focus to centre stage — where she'll reprise her acclaimed Whitney Houston tribute, The Greatest Love of All, at the Joburg Civic Theatre from 22 to 24 August.