I.P.C.C.

The International Pentecostal Church Choir, known throughout South Africa simply as the IPCC, is one of the most beloved and enduring gospel groups the country has produced. Founded in 1989 within the International Pentecost Holiness Church, the choir grew from the spiritual and musical vision of its founder, the late Priscilla Lekaba, who had been leading congregational singing since the 1960s. For years the choir sang in church and at various community events without committing their music to record, building a following through the raw power of live performance alone.

Their first album was eventually followed by O a Halalela in 1990, and it was their third album, Tumelo, reaching gold status, that signalled what was to come. The turning point arrived in 1992 when music producer Thami Mdluli took over the production of the choir, teaming up with guitarist Ntokozo Zungu to give the IPCC a more distinctive and commercially polished sound. The timing coincided with the emergence of lead vocalist Emma Mkhwanazi as the choir's most prominent voice, and the combination proved transformative.

The album Uthembekile sold over 200,000 copies and achieved four times platinum status. Their landmark album Mehleng ya Bofelo, recorded in 1995, sold 25,000 units in its first two days, was certified gold in May 1996 and platinum the following month. Ummeli Wethu sold over 350,000 copies. Across Emma Mkhwanazi's tenure with the choir, the IPCC sold in excess of four million records, a staggering achievement in the South African gospel market. Beloved songs including Anginawo Amandla and Keletsoho became firm fixtures in homes and churches across the country.

The choir has remained active across three decades, continuing to record and perform long after their commercial peak. In 2023, they received their first SAMA nomination in more than ten years, for Best Traditional Faith Album for their release Hoja Ke Sena Wena, a reminder that the congregation has never stopped listening.