: For Money Mike SA, reaching one million views on YouTube with his hit single “Yalla Habibi Cartel” is more than another career milestone – it is a reminder of how far he has travelled.
The achievement comes at a defining moment for the 29-year-old artist, businessman, and cultural entrepreneur, who has spent years turning personal hardship into ambition and building a name that now stretches across music, fashion, lifestyle and international business.
His rise has also been marked by a series of major career moves that have expanded his profile beyond South Africa. Money Mike SA secured a deal with Sony Music Publishing, followed by a distribution relationship with Roc Nation in 2026, giving his music access to a broader international network. His growing influence has also extended into the luxury and fashion spaces through his association with Luc Belaire and True Religion. More recently, being identified as an act to watch at Red Bull Unlocked in Cape Town further cemented his position as one of the artists to watch, recognising his ability to connect music, culture, fashion and business. Together, these milestones reflect an artist whose success is increasingly being measured not only by music releases, but by the global opportunities and partnerships he continues to attract.
One million views means one million moments where somebody decided to press play. For me, that’s powerful. I remember being that kid who didn’t know where his life was going. I remember losing my mother. I remember losing my father. I remember leaving school. I remember having to figure things out for myself. So when I look at one million views, I don’t just see YouTube. I see the journey.
“Yalla Habibi Cartel” is really about the mindset. It is about understanding who you are, knowing what you bring to the table and not being afraid to move like you belong in the rooms you are trying to enter. I have always believed that you have to see it in your mind before people can see it in you.
3. This has been a huge year for you, from Red Bull Unlocked to Luc Belaire, True Religion, Sony Music Publishing and Roc Nation. How are you processing all these achievements?
I’m honestly humbled. Sometimes you have to stop and look at everything that has happened because when you’re busy building, you don’t always have time to process it. This year has been crazy for me. Between the music, the brands, the opportunities and the people I am meeting, I am seeing things I used to dream about becoming real.
4. You’ve experienced significant personal loss, including losing both your parents. How has that shaped the person and artist you are today?
I don’t think you ever completely get over losing your parents. You learn to live with it. You learn to carry it. But there are still moments when you wish you could call them and tell them what is happening in your life.
Sometimes I look at what is happening now and I think about my parents. I think about where I came from and everything that happened, and it becomes emotional because they didn’t get to see this version of me.
I could have allowed those experiences to destroy me, but I decided I wanted to build something from them. I wanted my life to mean something.
5. You left school in Grade 8. What did that experience teach you about yourself?
If you can stay in school, stay in school. I will always tell young people that. My story is not a reason to drop out. I had a different journey, but leaving school meant I had to become a student of life.
I had to learn everything myself – music, business, branding, relationships, negotiation and understanding people. I made mistakes, but every mistake taught me something.
6. You’ve been building in music for years. When did you realise this could become something bigger than just making songs?
I don’t want to just be an artist who releases songs. I want to build something that people can experience. Music is the foundation, but there is fashion, there is business, there is culture and there are international relationships.
I’ve always seen music as one part of a much bigger vision. That’s why I’ve also built around Yalla Habibi Cartel Records and explored different spaces beyond music.
7. Your music also brings together your South African and Middle Eastern influences. How important is that identity to your sound?
I am proudly South African, but I also have that Middle Eastern connection through my family. That is why sometimes you hear Arabic in my music. I want to bring those worlds together. I want people in Africa and the Middle East to feel represented.
I recorded “ON GAWD” in Beirut, and that experience was also important because it allowed me to draw from both sides of who I am.
8. You were recently labelled an act to watch at Red Bull Unlocked in Cape Town. What did that recognition mean to you?
Being recognised in spaces like Red Bull Unlocked means a lot because those are moments where you realise people are actually paying attention to what you’re building. But I don’t want to get comfortable. I want to be recognised globally. I want people to hear my music in places where they don’t even know my story yet.
9. You’re approaching 30. Do you feel proud of what you’ve achieved before reaching that milestone?
I’ve still got a few months before I turn 30, and I can honestly say I am proud of myself. Not because everything is perfect, but because I didn’t give up.
This year has humbled me. The Belaire opportunity, True Religion, the music, Sony Music Publishing, Roc Nation, Red Bull Unlocked and now one million views for “Yalla Habibi Cartel” – these are things I am grateful for. I used to dream about having a life like this. Now I am living parts of that dream, and it reminds me that I have to dream even bigger.
10. After everything you’ve been through, what do you want people to ultimately take from your story?
I lost both my parents. I left school in Grade 8. There were moments where life could have gone in a completely different direction. But I am still here. I am still creating. I am still building. I am still dreaming.
That is what I want people to take from my story. Don’t let your circumstances tell you who you are. Your beginning is not your ending.
I wish my parents could see me now. That’s the part that hurts. But I hope wherever they are, they would be proud.
