Online Reporter
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
EVEN among those who have known him for years, it is difficult to reconcile the easy-going young man known simply as Mabax with Zimbabwean music royalty.
Soft-spoken and almost deliberately unassuming, Mabax does not wear his pedigree on his sleeve. Yet as one of the brains behind Qube Studios, he has quietly helped mould Bulawayo’s modern music and entertainment scene, providing a launchpad for some of the city’s brightest stars. Many of the young men and women who once crowded into Qube Studios, armed with raw talent and ambition, have since grown into trailblazers on both local and international stages.
DJ Nite Freak, for example, has grown into an Afro-house juggernaut, earning his status as the most-streamed Zimbabwean musician through sheer ingenuity and unrivalled hit-making ability. DJ Ash T, meanwhile, has emerged as a force in his own right, with his Garden of House event becoming the highlight of Bulawayo’s showbiz scene in 2025.
Still, those who watched these and other young creatives work with Mabax in the infancy of their careers will tell you that, even then, he was largely the same unassuming figure he remains today. It is only when people discover that Mabax is short for Mabaleka that they realise they have been in the presence of Zimbabwean music royalty all along.
Born Mduduzi Mabaleka, he is the son of the late Tymon Mabaleka, a legendary footballer-turned-music producer affectionately known as The White Horse, whose fingerprints are all over Zimbabwe’s musical golden eras.
Lovemore Majaivana, Solomon Skuza, Ebony Sheik, Fanyana Dube, Zexie Manatsa, Leonard Zhakata, Khiama Boys, John Chibadura, Devera Ngwena Jazz Band, Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, James Chimombe, The Bhundu Boys, The Pied Pipers, The Frontline Kids, Sungura Boys, System Tazvida, Tongai Moyo, Paul Matavire, Leonard Dembo, Kasongo Band, Alick Macheso and many others are just some of the artistes for whom the man known as the White Horse produced.
Mabaleka passed away in 2014 at the age of 65. Even before his father’s passing, Mabax had already begun making an impression on the local showbiz scene. For him, becoming part of the music industry felt preordained, a destiny he had been steering towards from birth. Growing up in the Mabaleka household, he had little choice.
“I regard it as a great honour. Being born into the Mabaleka family had a huge influence on me. Tymon Mabaleka, may his soul rest in peace, was in the music industry for a long time and produced for all the big names,” he told Sunday Life.
“When I started my DJ and production career, I was very young. During family functions, I would be the DJ and with time, I realised that my father was deeply involved in this world, so I decided to pursue it full throttle.”
Before he ever played on major stages as an upcoming DJ and producer, Mabax says his family’s Christmas parties were where he first cut his teeth.
“During Christmas parties, my younger brother Mgcinisizwe Mabaleka, who passed away last year, would dance and provide entertainment. People used to call us the M&M’s because we were like twins,” he said.
“We would dance to songs we had dubbed onto cassette tapes, which meant instructing someone else to play the songs we wanted. At some point, I decided to take charge of the radio because people kept playing our songs out of sequence. I realised that people at home were enjoying the music we were playing, so during family functions they would just hire a sound system and leave the playing to me. That’s where I started learning to DJ and it inspired me to fully embrace the entertainment industry.”
Even in those early years, as he watched his father rub shoulders with heavyweights in local music and showbiz, Mabax says he knew immediately that entertainment would become his lifelong passion. However, despite his love for all things media and music, the DJ, producer, graphic designer and event organiser admits he was aware that his heritage opened doors not easily accessible to others.
“Carrying this name has given me a chance to open doors that are hard to open. As soon as someone hears that Mabax is short for Mabaleka, they become inquisitive and it becomes easier to engage,” he said.
“It’s a great privilege, and I hope that through what I’m doing, the legacy continues. Yes, the Mabaleka name is strongly associated with football, but we are also entertainment fanatics, and I’m proof of that. We have family members who are music instructors, DJs and producers around the globe and I’m grateful for that.”
A few years ago, Mabax moved to South Africa in an attempt to make headway in the highly competitive Mzansi showbiz scene. After returning home last year, he says he has not changed much, although he picked up a few lessons along the way, chief among them, the challenge of balancing family life with entertainment, a tightrope his own father once had to master.
“In South Africa, I learned a lot, but I can’t say I found anything very different from what we have here in Zimbabwe. We are just not tapping fully into the knowledge and infrastructure that already exists,” he said.
“One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years is balancing entertainment and family life. Back in the day, I could do whatever I wanted, but that’s no longer the case. I have responsibilities now, including a wife and two children. Juggling family and entertainment after returning home has been difficult, but my wife understands. It’s nice to have someone who supports your vision.”
Now back in Bulawayo and witnessing the progress made by some of the young stars he helped mentor, Mabax insists that the prosperity of local artists remains close to his heart.
“In the near future, we plan to promote artists and events. We also want to go full throttle as a record label and artist management company and eventually become booking agents,” he said.
“However, we will be selective. We want to give talent a chance, but we won’t invite everyone who simply wants to record. Our prices will be competitive because our goal doesn’t end with recording a song. We want a proper plan that takes the music to radio and beyond, an area we feel is lacking in the local industry.”
While he cherishes his family’s legacy, Mabax says he is ultimately motivated by a desire to keep the Mabaleka fire burning. Where some parents might discourage their children from pursuing showbiz, he is doing the opposite, already grooming his son to continue the family tradition.
“I started loving the music industry in the early 90s and over time, I branched into other areas. I’m a full-blown media person now, a graphic designer, website designer and TV presenter,” he said. “Growing up in the Mabaleka environment made me fall in love with entertainment and I want the same for my children. Recently, I’ve started teaching my nine-year-old son how to DJ. He’s still young, but he’s already learning.”
