TEEKS reflects on his first South African tour: ‘It’s been all love’

New Zealand soul singer TEEKS may have arrived in South Africa as a first-time visitor, but after spending more than a week in the country, he is leaving with something that feels much bigger than memories of three shows.

For the Māori singer-songwriter, whose music has found a strong following among South African listeners through songs such as “First Time”, “Remember Me” and “Without You”, his long-awaited South African visit became an opportunity to experience the country beyond the stage.

TEEKS, real name Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi, arrived in August for his first multi-city South African tour, performing in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

The tour opened in Cape Town on August 27, followed by Durban on August 28, before he wrapped things up at Parklive Jozi Festival in Johannesburg on August 30.

In my previous conversation with TEEKS ahead of his arrival, he spoke about his excitement at finally meeting the South African fans who had embraced his music from thousands of kilometres away.

Now, after experiencing those audiences for himself, it is the love and warmth of South Africans that he says will stay with him.

TEEKS gets a taste of Mzansi

His South African experience was not limited to concert venues.

The singer was determined to experience some of the country’s culture, including its food.

Among the dishes he tried were chicken feet, tripe, chakalaka and pap.

“I’m open to new experiences and I’ll try anything once,” he said.

While the chicken feet proved to be something of a challenge because of the texture, TEEKS was pleasantly surprised by some of the other dishes.

“It’s been really, really tasty,” he said.

The experience also gave him an opportunity to see some of the cultural similarities and differences between South Africa and his home country of New Zealand.

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From All Blacks supporter to Springbok fashion moment

Perhaps one of his most unexpected South African moments came when TEEKS found himself wearing Springbok merchandise on stage.

The singer, who grew up in New Zealand and has supported the All Blacks throughout his life, was gifted a Springbok jumper.

Instead of keeping it as a souvenir, he decided to wear it during his performance.

“I got gifted the Springbok merch jumper and I decided to wear it on stage,” he said.

TEEKS explained that wearing it was his way of showing appreciation for the country and the people who had welcomed him.

“I just feel such an appreciation for the country and the people. And I just wanted to pay homage, you know, and represent.”

He may not have officially switched rugby allegiances just yet, but his fashion choice certainly earned him some points with South African fans.

The timing was also interesting, with New Zealand and South Africa’s rugby rivalry playing out during his visit.

Asked whether he was ready to become a Springbok supporter, TEEKS laughed and left the door slightly open.

“We’ll see,” he said.

‘It’s been all love’

Speaking about the biggest takeaway from his time in the country, TEEKS said the response from audiences had exceeded anything he could have anticipated.

“Just the love from the people and the warmth and the passion, especially at the shows,” he said.

“I feel like I’m going to remember those for a very long time.”

That connection was particularly significant given that this was his first time performing in South Africa.

Before the tour, TEEKS had already developed a relationship with local listeners through his music, with “First Time” becoming particularly popular among South African audiences. His arrival therefore felt less like introducing himself to an entirely new audience and more like finally meeting people who had already made his music part of their lives.

That reception was evident throughout the tour, with the singer also admitting that he was surprised by how often fans recognised him outside of his performances.

“I’ve had people come up to me and just introduce themselves and just tell me how much they like, appreciate my music,” he said.

“And that means everything to me.”

South African music has caught his attention

One of the more interesting parts of TEEKS’ visit has been his discovery of South African music beyond the artists he was already familiar with.

Before coming to the country, he had spoken about his interest in collaborating with local musicians and exploring sounds such as amapiano. 

During his time here, that interest appears to have grown.

While he had previously mentioned Loyiso, TEEKS revealed that another South African artist has been on his radar for some time: Bongeziwe Mabandla.

“There’s another artist who I am a really big fan of and I probably should have mentioned earlier because I’ve been listening to him for a while,” he said.

“His name is Bongeziwe… And yeah, he makes amazing, amazing music. I’m such a fan.”

The admiration is notable given the similarities between the two artists’ approaches to emotionally driven songwriting, soul and intimate storytelling.

Whether that admiration eventually turns into a collaboration remains to be seen, but TEEKS is clearly leaving South Africa with his ears open to what the local music scene has to offer.

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Social media helped bring TEEKS to South Africa

For TEEKS, his relationship with South African listeners is also an example of how music can travel without geographical boundaries.

The singer credits platforms such as Instagram and TikTok with helping artists connect directly with audiences around the world.

“Social media definitely is a game changer,” he said.

“I tend to use Instagram and TikTok. I’m still figuring things out as I go.”

Rather than approaching social media as another carefully polished extension of his career, TEEKS said he tries to remain authentic, particularly on TikTok.

“I’m a little bit unfiltered with TikTok. I just, you know, I’m in the moment and I try to be as authentic as I can be on there.”

For him, authenticity is ultimately what connects with audiences.

“I think I just need to just be myself and be as authentic as I can be online.”

“I’ll be back”: TEEKS promises to return

Perhaps the clearest indication of how much TEEKS enjoyed his time in South Africa came at the end of the conversation.

Although his tour had officially wrapped, he had spent more than a week in the country — longer than initially expected.

When asked whether his extended stay was evidence of how much he had enjoyed South Africa, he did not hesitate.

“I know, it’s how much I love it here,” he said.

His departure was scheduled for Sunday, but TEEKS was already looking beyond his return flight.

“I’ll be back,” he said.

“This won’t be my last time.”

For an artist who arrived in South Africa for his debut tour, that may be the biggest compliment of all.

TEEKS came to the country to finally meet the fans behind the streams and social media interactions. He leaves having eaten local food, discovered new music, embraced a little Springbok culture and, most importantly, experienced the warmth of South African audiences first-hand.

And if his promise is anything to go by, this may only be the beginning of TEEKS’ relationship with Mzansi.