Babes Wodumo (born Bongekile Simelane on July 26, 1994 in Lamontville) is a South African musician, actor, presenter, and dancer.She is known for her hit song, Wololo which pioneered the Gqom genre, in 2016.
Babes has made waves in the music world and had her song Redemption feature on Black Panther: The Album, the soundtrack for the feature film Black Panther. She also had guest appearances on SABC1 soapie Uzalo and sitcom My Perfect Family.
She was born on the 26th of July 1994 in Lamontville, Chatsworth, South Africa. She is 29 years old as of 2023 and celebrates her birthday on July 26th every year.
She has consistently done well at dance, sports, acting, and football since she was young. Her skill in these pursuits earned her the moniker ‘Wodumo.’ Her father actually gave her the first name ‘Babes’ when she was born.
Her father apparently felt her daughter’s eyes resembled those of a member of a group known as ‘The Babes.’
Bongekile was born to Welcome and Thokozile Simelane. Her father is Bishop Welcome Simelane, who heads the Lamontville Mount Zion Faith Mission. She has a sister named Nonduh Simelane. Her father and her mother were not supportive of her way of life and wanted her to pursue a career in social work.
Her first appearance on the music platform was on a song titled ‘Desha’ released by Sir Bubzin in 2014. She released her hit single “Wololo” in 2016 and has since been making waves in the music industry.
Babes has performed the song on various television events, including Idols 12, The MTV Africa Awards, Rhythm City, The South African Music Awards, and Come Duze, and she founded the West Ink Dance Academy, which has received multiple honours.
She released her debut album in 2016 titled “Gqom Queen, Vol. 1
She has an estimated net worth of $1 million to $5 million, which she has earned throughout her successful career.