Dame Prue Leith has revealed that her favourite song of all time is Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, a hymn that was banned under South Africa’s apartheid regime due to its association with the African National Congress. Speaking on BBC Radio in 2021, Leith reflected on her upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa and the profound impact the song has had on her life.
She explained: “You will not be surprised to hear that I’ve chosen Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, which has now become the South African national anthem. It is sung by the Ladysmith Black Mambazo.” Originally written as a hymn in 1897, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika became a symbol of resistance during apartheid and was banned by the government because of its political significance. It was later incorporated into the post-apartheid South African national anthem.
Now a household name in the UK as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, Leith has had a long and varied career as a chef, restaurateur, writer and broadcaster.
Leith, who was born in Cape Town, spoke candidly about the privileges she experienced growing up as a white middle-class child, and how her understanding of racism evolved over time.
“We were quite well off, I went to a private school. The thing that made us the most privileged of all was that we were white middle class and so apartheid was part of life,” she said.
She also described the activism of her mother, who was a member of the anti-apartheid women’s group the Black Sash.
“I remember her standing at the town hall steps and having eggs thrown at her because she was protesting against the fact that you couldn’t have black actors in a play,” she said.
Leith recalled a pivotal moment from her youth that highlighted the deep social injustices of the time.
“I would walk down the street as a young 14-year-old staying with my girlfriend giggling away, and a venerable old black man would get off the pavement and walk in the gutter to let these giggling school girls pass because the whole culture was ‘blacks’ had to make way for ‘whites’.”
Other songs on her eight-song playlist featured an eclectic mix, from Aretha Franklin’s Skylark to Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, but it was the haunting harmonies of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika that stood out.
When asked to choose her ultimate favourite, she didn’t hesitate.