Jo Black

An Afrikaans vocalist and composer recognized across South Africa for his parallel roles as a motivational speaker and media figure, Jo Black crafts uplifting material within a straightforward rock framework. His first major-label release, the album Skepe, arrived in 2016, followed in 2019 by the Top Ten single “Voel Jy die Genade.”

Born Jo Engelbrecht and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, he began taking jobs while still attending school and later established his own construction firm. After eight years running the business, he concluded that professional routine alone could not suffice and launched the self-improvement initiative Be That Guy, later expanding it to Be That Girl, which promotes empowerment via constructive mindsets. He delivered presentations at more than 200 schools nationwide before committing his first collection of inspirational mainstream rock songs to tape. Issued by Universal in 2016 under the title Skepe, the project featured contributions from songwriters including Johan Vorster and Christoph Kotzé. The album gained traction, its title-track video surpassing one million views inside half a year. Black issued the follow-up Voel Jy die Genade in 2019; its title track reached number eight, marking his strongest chart placement to that point.