What Is The Urban Exchange?
The Urban Exchange is a pioneering Hip Hop cultural platform based in Gqeberha. For the last decade, the Exchange has been showcasing how Eastern Cape can hold it down for Hip Hop. Sawubona.
What began as intimate monthly sessions and an audio podcast has evolved into a respected national cultural property, and this year’s edition is powered by the National Arts Council.
Under the theme “10 Years Of Creative Evolution”, the platform celebrates not just its own survival, but the resilience of Hip Hop culture in a province often overlooked the growth of the culture as a form of commerce.
“Everything is happening in the city,” said founder, Yahkeem Mavulakuvaliwe “but hip hop seems to be neglected.”
The 10th anniversary celebrations are unfolding across two major sessions in 2026 — the first took place on February 7, and the second follows on March 7 — both at The One Room Music and Comedy Club in Central, Gqeberha.
The Founder: Yahkeem Mavulakuvaliwe
Mnumzane Yahkeem Mavulakuvaliwe, a Hip Hop practitioner from Motherwell, Eastern Cape, and has been loyal to the game for what the game has done for him. He was crowned King of the Eastern Cape at the SA Hip Hop awards in 2013, 2014, and 2017. “Hip Hop took me off the streets where people thought I would either die or go to jail. It gave me a voice I never knew I had”, Mavulakuvaliwe once mentioned.
Before The Urban Exchange, he used to one as a retail store manager, but on December 2, 2016 — his birthday — he resigned as a retail store manager and gave himself the gift of what would also be a gift to the game: The Urban Exchange.
10 Years Of Creative Evolution: 07 February 2026
After a decade of the Exchange, the celebration had two sessions. The first anniversary session on February 7, 2026 was a special night that also served as a tribute to the legendary producer J Dilla, whose influence on beatmaking transcends borders and generations.
The lineup brought together multiple generations and regions within South African hip hop, united by authenticity, storytelling, and craft. Artists travelled from as far as Jozi to be part of the celebration, which featured Eastern Cape royalty including Iintloko Zeenyoka, Stix Makasana, Ujo, Onyxx, and Beatology.
The Legends: Iintloko Zeenyoka
Iintloko Zeenyoka is a pioneering Hip Hop duo from Qonce and Stutterheim. Co-founded by mnumzane Khayalethu “Mboza” Mxasa and mnumzane Lunga “Hooba” Mampangashe. They have released projects like — Promise to the Province, which has been seen to play an activist role Eastern Cape. Their music reminds people, through rhyme, of the importance of UbuNtu.
10 Years Of Creative Evolution: 07 March 2026
This Saturday, March 7, The Urban Exchange returns with a red-carpet cocktail party featuring live band performances and a genre-bridging lineup. Here are the artists taking the stage:
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- Ta Longz — A rapper who using the mic as a shovel to a dig grave who whack in rap.
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- Zellaman — A rising voice in the Eastern Cape trap scene.
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- Sir Davvid — Singer-Songwriter, rapper, poet and former actress.
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- Sobz — A rapper and music artist known for his imagery Xhosa raps.
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- Mandilakhe Ikhaya — A singer-songwriter with a voice and pen of the ancients.
Event Details
| Event | The Urban Exchange 10th Anniversary – Second Session |
| Theme | “10 Years Of Creative Evolution” |
| Date | March 7, 2026 |
| Time | Doors 18:00 for 19:00 |
| Venue | The One Room Music and Comedy Club, 52 Westbourne Rd, Gqeberha |
| Tickets | R100 online (Webtickets) / R120 at the door |
A decade later, The Urban Exchange stands as proof that when you build it, they will come. From the open-mic nights of Urban Connection — where no one got paid and rap happened until dawn — to the red-carpet cocktail party of 2026, the mission remains the same. Here’s to 10 Of Creative Evolution.