Batsogile Lovederia "Rebecca" Malope (born June 30, 1968) is a South African gospel singer. She is known as "The African Queen of Gospel." Her music career spans more than three decades. She has sold at least 10 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time. Most of the 36 albums she has released have reached multi-platinum status. She hosted her own syndicated television show, It's Gospel Time, between 2004 and 2019. In 2013 she was one of the judges in Clash of Choirs South Africa. In 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa honoured her with the Order of Ikhamanga (OIS), for her distinguished contribution to South African music. Early life Rebecca Malope was born in 1968 in Lekazi near Neslpruit in Mpumalanga. In her early age she was confined to a wheelchair after an illness; doctors believed she would be unable to walk on her own. As a child, she and her sisters sang hymns in their local church. Later, as a teen, she joined a gospel group which eventually led her to Johannesburg, where she was brought to the attention of producer Sizwe Zakho. Career Her musical career began in 1984. At the age of 16 she and her sister Cynthia left their home township of Kanyamazane, near Nelspruit, and hiked to Evaton, and then finally reached Johannesburg. In 1985, Malope entered the Shell Road to Fame television contest with the band she was with, but they were eliminated in the first round of the competition. In 1986, she meet Sizwe Zako at Gallo Studios. He remembered her from their unsuccessful auditions. Zako felt that with his guidance Malope could win the Shell Road to Fame where she was to enter the competition as a solo artist. In 1987, Malope did so and won Shell Road to Fame in the category of Female Vocalist with the gospel song "Shine On", dedicated to political unrest during Apartheid in South Africa. Despite winning Shell Road to Fame, she struggled to find a record company. Finally she was given a recording contract by MFM but was told that gospel music was off-limits. She was pushed to perform disco songs to sell records to compete with Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Mercy Phakela who were the biggest female artists at the time. Sizwe Zako convinced the executives at MFM to include one gospel song on Malope's debut album