Refiloe Maele Phoolo, known professionally as Cassper Nyovest, is a South African rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and amateur boxer who has become one of the most successful artists in South African history. Born on 16 December 1990 in Mahikeng, North West, Cassper Nyovest has built an empire that spans music, business, and sports. At 35 years old, he continues to dominate the South African entertainment industry with his innovative approach to music and marketing.
Cassper Nyovest is widely regarded as one of the most successful artists in South Africa, known for his groundbreaking Fill Up concerts that have drawn tens of thousands of fans across the country. His journey from a young rapper in Mahikeng to a household name is a testament to his talent, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Personal Information
Full name: Refiloe Maele Phoolo
Stage name: Cassper Nyovest
Date of birth: 16 December 1990
Age: 35 years old (as of 2026)
Place of birth: Mahikeng, North West, South Africa
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, boxer
Years active: 2013 to present
Genres: Hip hop, Motswako, Kwaito, Amapiano
Labels: Family Tree Records, Def Jam Africa, Universal Music Group
Partner: Pulane Mojaki
Website: casspernyovest.com
Early Life and Education
Refiloe Maele Phoolo was born on 16 December 1990 in Mafikeng, a borough of North West, to Muzuki and Letsebela Phoolo. He has a sister named Tsholofelo Phoolo, and his late brother, Khotso Phoolo, passed away in 2003. Growing up in the North West province, Cassper Nyovest showed an early interest in music and sports.
He attended Sol Plaatjie Secondary School where he was an athlete, playing several sports, and started rapping at the age of 12. In 2006, Cassper Nyovest failed his Grade 10 exams, leading him to move to his grandmother’s house in Potchefstroom. In 2007, at the age of 16, he made the difficult decision to formally drop out of high school to pursue his music career full-time.
In 2008, Cassper Nyovest relocated to Johannesburg to pursue a career in music as a rapper and producer. He made the move after telling his parents that he would rather pursue his dreams, which he felt were within his reach, rather than playing it safe and regretting it his whole life. This bold decision would prove to be the turning point in his journey to stardom.
Musical Career Beginnings
In 2004, at just 13 years old, Cassper Nyovest formed a hip hop group called Childhood Gangsta with his friends. He then left to join his next group, Slow Motion, which had eight members, including record producer Aashish Gangaram of Ganja Beatz. At age 16, and after dropping out of school, Cassper Nyovest signed with Motswako record label Impact Sounds, which also signed artists like Tuks Senganga and Morafe in 2006.
The relationship between Cassper Nyovest and Impact Sounds eventually soured because of creative differences. In 2008, both parties separated, with Cassper Nyovest becoming an independent artist. He moved back home and created his own record label. Before establishing his label, he was discovered by late rapper Hip Hop Pantsula while performing, who featured Cassper Nyovest on his song Wamo Tseba Mtho.
Breakthrough: Tsholofelo Album
Cassper Nyovest released his debut single, Gusheshe featuring Okmalumkoolkat, in 2013. In 2014, he established his record label named Family Tree Records. His second single, Doc Shebeleza, was released the same year and named after kwaito artist Doc Shebeleza. The song received positive reviews from the public and was praised by notable acts, such as singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
On 18 July 2014, Cassper Nyovest released his debut album Tsholofelo, named after his sister. The album was an outstanding success, peaking at number one on the iTunes SA albums chart for two consecutive months in July and August 2014. In October 2014, Cassper Nyovest was ranked as the top artist on the MTV Base show The Hottest MC in Africa and was ranked number two on MTV SA’s Hottest MCs that same year.
Refiloe and the Fill Up Concerts
With the success of Tsholofelo, Cassper Nyovest released a platinum edition of the album, which included new songs and collaborations with Casey Veggies, DJ Drama, Wizkid, and Anatii. The platinum edition was released on 17 April 2015 with a limit of 10,000 copies printed.
At the end of the third quarter of 2015, Cassper Nyovest announced his intention of headlining a concert called Fill Up The Dome at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg on 31 October 2015. He stated his goal of filling the dome, which accommodates up to 20,000 people, to its full capacity. He also announced that his second album, titled Refiloe, would be released on the day of the event.
On 14 August 2015, Cassper Nyovest released Mama I Made It, the lead single from his second album and one of the promotional songs for the Fill Up The Dome concert. He managed to sell out all tickets for his event as he predicted, and on the day of the event, ticket buyers received a complimentary copy of the Refiloe album. This promotion resulted in the album being certified gold on that very day and later certified platinum for shipments in excess of 40,000 copies domestically.
Cassper Nyovest then announced a second event, Fill Up Orlando Stadium, held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on 29 October 2016. The event was a success, with a total of 40,000 people in attendance. A combined total of around 80,000 people attended both concerts. For both 2015 and 2016, Cassper Nyovest was ranked number one on MTV Base: SA’s Hottest MCs list.
Thuto and Continued Success
On 4 March 2017, Cassper Nyovest released the lead single Tito Mboweni from his third album Thuto. Named after South Africa’s Minister of Finance and former SARB governor Tito Mboweni, the song commercially trended for its lyric quote Shaa Shaa, which is an onomatopoeia for a money note sound.
Thuto was released on 5 May 2017. It was certified gold by RiSA on the day of its release and was then certified platinum within the following weeks. Cassper Nyovest announced his third Fill Up event, which was held on 17 November 2017 at the 94,736 capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The event was planned to fill only 75,000 of its capacity, which was his biggest challenge. Cassper Nyovest had some struggles in funding the show but finally got three major sponsors in assisting him: Cîroc SA, SABC 1, and Budweiser.
Sweet and Short and Any Minute Now
In 2018, Cassper Nyovest released his fourth album Sweet and Short. The album was certified platinum on its day of release. His following Fill Up event venue was at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, scheduled for 1 December 2018. He managed to sell 68,000 tickets, which was a favorable outcome. The following day, Cassper Nyovest performed at the Motsepe Foundation presented event, Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, headlined by the Carters.
On 15 December 2019, Cassper Nyovest performed at his fifth annual Fill Up event, which was held at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, a city of North West, the province where he was born. After being criticized by hip hop fans for leaving the genre, Cassper Nyovest returned in 2020 with a hip hop track titled Good For That.
On 11 September 2020, his fifth studio album Any Minute Now was released, featuring Zola 7, Samthing Soweto, Langa Mavuso, Tellaman, YoungstaCPT, Busiswa, Nadia Nakai, Khuli Chana, Tuks, Mo’ Molemi, Towdee Mac, and DJ Lemonka. At the 2020 South African Hip Hop Awards, he won three awards including Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Male.
Amapiano Era: Sweet and Short 2.0
On 30 July 2021, Cassper Nyovest dropped his first ever Amapiano studio album Sweet and Short 2.0, which consists of 10 tracks featuring Abidoza, Samthing Soweto, LuuDadeejay, Kammu Dee, Lady Du, Ma Lemon, Semi Tee, Boohle, DJ Sumbody, Reece Madlisa, Thulz, and Zuma. On 4 September 2021, he embarked to the United Kingdom for the AmaFest Tour along with DJ Maphorisa, DBN Gogo, and Focalistic to promote the Amapiano genre.
Cassper Nyovest appeared on the collaboration Umjolo with Abidoza and Boohle, released on 30 September 2021. His ability to adapt to changing musical trends while maintaining his core fanbase has been key to his longevity in the industry.
Solomon Album and Recent Work
In May 2023, Cassper Nyovest and Nasty C announced the African Throne World Tour, which included 12 dates running from 18 August in Arusha, Tanzania until 28 October in Johannesburg, South Africa. Cassper Nyovest announced his studio album Solomon, which was released on 15 September 2023. The album charted at number one in South Africa. The lead single 018 featuring Maglera Doe Boy was released on 15 September 2023.
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Boxing Career
Cassper Nyovest has also made a name for himself in the boxing ring. On 22 December 2021, he held a boxing match in which he won against YouTuber Slik Talk in the Fame vs Clout event. A boxing match titled Actor vs Musician was held at Sun City Stadium on 9 April 2022, where Cassper Nyovest lost to NaakMusiQ after taking him on to the fifth round. His boxing ventures have added another dimension to his public persona and expanded his fanbase beyond music.
Business Ventures and Endorsements
Cassper Nyovest has garnered several endorsement deals with various companies, notably with vodka brand Cîroc, which is one of his biggest endorsement deals in his career so far. Their endorsement began in 2017 when Cassper Nyovest displayed Cîroc bottles in his music video for Tito Mboweni. Cîroc then unveiled their deal with Cassper Nyovest.
In 2015, Cassper Nyovest endorsed with MTN and AG Mobile in launching a smartphone named AG Hashtag, which was inspired by and partly designed by him. He has also endorsed with other brands including Shoprite, Samsung South Africa, Coca-Cola, KFC SA, Castle Lite, Nike SA, and Bitcasino.
As an entrepreneur, Cassper Nyovest founded Family Tree Records in 2014 after his departure from Impact Soundz. In July 2021, he founded a sneaker company called Root of Fame under Drip Footwear. On 6 September 2021, he launched his own liquor brand named Billiato. His business portfolio continues to grow, contributing to his status as one of South Africa’s wealthiest musicians.
Television and Media
On 9 September 2021, Cassper Nyovest became a host of The Braai Show with Cass, which airs on SABC 1. His television presence has helped him connect with a wider audience and showcase his personality beyond music.
Personal Life
In July 2015, after months of denying any romantic involvement with each other, Cassper Nyovest and actress Boity Thulo confirmed that they were dating. The couple broke up in December 2015. He is currently in a relationship with Pulane Mojaki.
Legacy and Impact
Cassper Nyovest has left an indelible mark on South African music and entertainment. His innovative Fill Up concerts changed the landscape of live music events in South Africa, proving that local artists could draw massive crowds. His ability to sell out major stadiums across the country has inspired a new generation of artists to think bigger about their careers.
His transition from hip hop to Amapiano demonstrated his versatility as an artist and his willingness to evolve with the changing musical landscape. Cassper Nyovest has been awarded and nominated for various music awards both locally and internationally. His first set of awards were in 2013 when he won four awards at the second edition of the South Africa Hip Hop Awards.
As one of the most successful artists in South African history, Cassper Nyovest continues to break records and push boundaries. His journey from a young rapper in Mahikeng to a music icon and entrepreneur serves as an inspiration to aspiring artists across the continent.