AUTHOR and music boss Sakhele Mzalazala wants to teach musicians.
He's gearing up to publish his new book titled Music Rights Book Vol. 2.
The book is aimed at empowering young African artists with business knowledge.
Having worked with stars such as the late Sfiso Ncwane and Zonke Dikana, Sakhele is now focused on teaching up-and-coming creatives about royalties, metadata, branding, and music rights.
Sakhele from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape spoke to Daily Sun about the book, which will be published in August.
"The inspiration behind the book came directly from the musicians themselves. After releasing volume 1, many artists reached out saying how much they learnt and how they wished there was more accessible, practical information, especially since topics like copyright, intellectual property, and music business aren't taught in most schools.
"There's also no one-stop resource or offices for artists to understand their rights or how to navigate the music industry independently. The demand motivated me to continue writing, and from the beginning, my vision was to create a continuing series that artists can grow with. I also intentionally designed the book to feel more like a magazine, something easy to read and action-oriented, tailored to what artists actually need in real time,' he said.
He said working with big artists helped him shape the person he is.
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"Working with artists like Zonke Dikana and the late Sfiso Ncwane gave me a deeper understanding of how different artists operate, especially those who take control of their business. As Zonke's manager, I wasn't just handling bookings, protecting her brand, taking her to gigs, interviews and advising. I was also involved in protecting her catalogue and building her business infrastructure.
"Both she and Sfiso operated independently, so I helped them to understand copyright and to develop their record labels, publishing, management, and distribution info. It was a true collaboration because we shared the same vision: to succeed on our own terms. These experiences confirmed that artists can own and control their careers and that's the core message I carry into everything I do. May Sfiso's soul rest in peace, along with all the great musicians we've lost," he said.
Sakhele said he added things that he felt a lot of musicians didn't understand.
"One of the biggest blind spots is around terminology. Many artists don't clearly understand the different roles, what it means to be a composer, an author, an arranger, a producer, a publisher, or even an artist.
"Without a clear understanding of these roles and their rights, artists get stuck just focusing on performing and being visible, often leaving money and control behind. Education is key to unlocking this knowledge," he said.
He said there might be a volume 3 in the works.
"Volume 3 and more are coming. The industry keeps evolving, and new technologies bring both opportunities and challenges, especially around copyright and rights management.
"My bigger vision is to establish a Music Business School that focuses on real, practical industry knowledge, not just theory. I also want to play a role in shaping policy and regulations for our industry," Sakhele added.
