Nomcebo lost a court case against Open Mic Productions.
Award-winning singer Nomcebo Zikode says she will keep fighting for justice after losing a court battle against Open Mic Productions.
Zikode and her company, Emazulwini Productions, issued a joint statement expressing disappointment following the Pretoria High Court judgment delivered on 9 May 2025.
The court dismissed her application to declare parts of a 2022 settlement agreement unenforceable and ordered her to deliver two more albums to Open Mic before she can exit her contract.
“A song that once gave the world hope has, in turn, broken me. I still have not seen a single cent, and I am still fighting for my rights.
“But I will keep on fighting through this pain and exhaustion because we cannot continue excusing the exploitation of artists in this beautiful country. Aluta Continua,” Zikode wrote on Instagram.
The Citizen sent questions to Zikode, but she had not responded at the time of publication.
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Legal battle over royalties and rights
Zikode and Open Mic have been locked in legal disputes since 2022 over her and Master KG’s global hit Jerusalema. However, the recent court case centred on her Grammy-winning track Bayethe.
In her application, Zikode asked the court to compel Open Mic to meet its accounting obligations, including detailed disclosures of income from synchronisation licences, bookings, brand deals, physical sales of Jerusalema and royalty breakdowns.
While the two parties settled out of court in 2022 — agreeing to a 50/50 joint venture for future releases via Africori — Zikode later returned to court, accusing the label of failing to uphold their end of the deal.
Last week, the court ultimately ruled that she could not seek relief that contradicted or extended beyond the 2022 agreement.
In the statement, Zikode and her record label describe the judgment as “fundamentally flawed and deeply troubling”.
“While we respect the role of the court, we cannot ignore the bigger picture: this case represents more than a contractual disagreement – it is about the rights of an artist to be acknowledged, compensated and respected for their work.
“Nomcebo’s battle is emblematic of the struggle faced by countless artists across the continent who are locked into unfair deals and denied their rightful earnings by powerful corporate entities,” the statement adds.
Zikode’s legal team is considering an appeal, according to the statement.
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