Benjamin Dube

Benjamin Dube is a South African gospel singer, songwriter, producer, pastor and multi-instrumentalist who has played a major role in the development of contemporary gospel and praise and worship music in South Africa. Born on January 23, 1962, in Johannesburg, Dube grew up in a deeply Christian and musical family and began performing with his siblings while still a child. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has become one of the country’s best-known gospel artists, with a catalogue that includes numerous platinum and multi-platinum releases.

Dube’s music career developed alongside his ministry. He first gained wider attention in the 1980s with songs such as “Holy Spirit” and “Ebenezer,” before establishing himself as a solo recording artist and one of South Africa’s leading voices in gospel music. His live recordings, particularly I Feel Like Going On, In His Presence, Healing in His Presence and Glory in His Presence, helped define his reputation as a powerful worship leader whose performances combine gospel, contemporary Christian music and praise and worship.

Beyond recording and performing, Dube has built a long-standing ministry and mentorship career. He founded High Praise Centre and established Dube Connection, a music imprint through which he has released his own work and supported other musicians, including members of his family. His influence has extended across Africa and to gospel audiences in Europe, North America, Australia and other parts of the world.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Musical Background

Benjamin Dube was born into a Christian family in Johannesburg. His father, Benjamin Dube Sr., was a minister, while his mother, Grace Dube, was a gospel singer and educator. Growing up in this environment meant that church, music and ministry were closely connected from an early age. Dube learned to play instruments including guitar and drums and began singing with his siblings as a child.

By the age of seven, he was already participating in family gospel performances. The children eventually became known as the Dube Family Singers, giving Benjamin his first experience of performing before audiences and developing the musical discipline that would later become central to his career.

The family experienced a devastating loss in 1976 when Dube’s father was murdered. Despite the tragedy, the family continued performing and using music as an expression of faith and resilience. Their musical activities eventually took them outside South Africa, including performances and recordings in Europe.

Education and Early Career

While still in high school, Dube formed the gospel group Share the Good News in 1980. The group entered an SABC talent search and won the competition, giving the young musician an important introduction to the wider South African entertainment industry.

His success in the competition brought him to the attention of musician and producer Sello “Chicco” Twala. Dube subsequently became involved with Twala’s pop band Image, an experience that exposed him to musical styles and production approaches beyond the church environment in which he had been raised.

The experience helped Dube develop into a versatile musician. Although gospel remained his central calling, his exposure to secular music and professional studio production contributed to the broad musical vocabulary that would later become evident in his recordings.

Rise as a Gospel Artist

Dube’s professional gospel career began to take shape in the mid-1980s. In 1986, he released “Holy Spirit,” a song that became a significant breakthrough. The single crossed beyond the traditional gospel audience and received attention from both religious and secular radio stations. It reportedly sold more than 25,000 copies in South Africa, an important achievement for a gospel release at the time.

Two years later, he released “Ebenezer,” featuring fellow South African musician Lucky Dube. The song reached the top of gospel and sacred music charts and further established Benjamin Dube as an important figure in the country’s gospel scene.

Dube continued recording through the 1990s while developing his ministry. His growing reputation eventually led to international opportunities, including a recording arrangement connected with Harmony Records in New York. His career increasingly combined the roles of recording artist, worship leader and pastor.

One of the most important developments came with his live album I Feel Like Going On. Recorded in 1999 and released in 2000, the project became a major commercial success and was certified platinum in South Africa. It also helped introduce Dube’s music to gospel audiences in the United States and Europe.

Musical Style and Notable Albums

Dube’s music is rooted in gospel, but his approach incorporates contemporary Christian arrangements, praise and worship, live performance and elements drawn from different musical traditions. His ability to combine strong vocal performances with extended worship arrangements has made live recording an important part of his catalogue.

The album I Feel Like Going On established the template for many of his later projects. He subsequently released a series of albums built around the phrase “In His Presence,” including Worship in His Presence, Healing in His Presence, Renewal in His Presence, Sanctified in His Presence, Victorious in His Presence and Glory in His Presence.

Several of these albums achieved gold, platinum or multi-platinum status in South Africa. Oh! Bless Our God became a multi-platinum release, while You Blessed Me Still reached number one on European gospel listings and was certified triple platinum in South Africa. Healing in His Presence and Glory in His Presence also became major releases in his catalogue.

His 2019 double album Glory in His Presence featured several guest artists, including the Dube Brothers, Sethu Gumede, Unathi Mzekeli and American gospel singer VaShawn Mitchell. The album demonstrated Dube’s continuing interest in collaboration while maintaining the worship-focused sound that had become his trademark.

Ministry, Collaborations and Mentorship

Music and ministry have remained closely connected throughout Dube’s career. He founded High Praise Centre in Boksburg, Johannesburg, where he has served as a pastor and worship leader. His ministry has provided another platform through which he has developed musicians and encouraged younger gospel artists.

Dube also established Dube Connection, a music imprint associated with his own recordings and the work of his sons, who have performed as the Dube Brothers. The label has allowed him to combine his work as an artist with his role as a producer and mentor.

His collaborations have included artists from South Africa and beyond. One of his early notable collaborations was “Ebenezer” with Lucky Dube. In later years, he worked with artists including VaShawn Mitchell and members of the Dube Brothers. He has also used large-scale live gospel projects to bring together established and emerging South African worship musicians.

His influence is therefore not limited to his own recordings. Through his ministry, production work and mentorship, Dube has played a role in developing a wider generation of gospel musicians and worship leaders.

Awards and Recognition

Dube’s contribution to South African gospel music has been recognised by several major industry organisations. His awards include honours from the South African Music Awards, Crown Gospel Music Awards and other gospel-focused institutions.

In 2007, he received South African Music Awards recognition for Best Contemporary Gospel and Best Praise and Worship Album. The following year, he was named Best Praise and Worship Artist at the Crown Gospel Music Awards. At the 2009 Crown Gospel Music Awards, he received the Best Male Artist award as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2017, Dube won three Crown Gospel Music Awards, including Best Gospel Producer, Best DVD and Best Gospel Artist of the Decade. His album Victorious in His Presence was also recognised as a Best Gospel Album winner at the ceremony.

One of the most significant honours of his career came at the 26th South African Music Awards in 2020, when Dube received a Lifetime Achievement Award. He also won Best Contemporary Faith Music Album and Best Live Audio Visual Recording for Glory in His Presence.

Personal Life, Current Work and Legacy

Dube is a father and has continued the family’s musical tradition through his sons, who have performed as the Dube Brothers. His family has remained closely connected to his music and ministry, continuing a tradition that began with his parents and siblings when he was a child.

His career has also taken him well beyond South Africa. His music and ministry have reached audiences in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Australia, Japan and other countries. His international work has often combined concerts and worship performances with preaching and ministry engagements.

Benjamin Dube’s importance to South African gospel music comes from the length and breadth of his career as much as from his commercial success. He emerged during the 1980s and helped establish a contemporary form of gospel and praise and worship that could reach audiences beyond the traditional church environment. His recordings have sold at platinum and multi-platinum levels, while his ministry has given him another avenue for shaping the country’s gospel community.

More than four decades after his professional breakthrough, Dube remains recognised as one of the defining figures in South African gospel music. His catalogue, ministry, production work and influence on younger musicians have made him a significant part of the country’s modern gospel history, while albums such as I Feel Like Going On, Healing in His Presence and Glory in His Presence continue to represent the enduring sound of his worship ministry.