Jeanette Nkanyane, affectionately known as Jininka to hundreds of her fans, has just won a South African Traditional Music Award (Satma) for the Best Venda Album in 2011. The album that earned her this prestigious award is her fourth offering, Ndi Muvenda.

At the age of 29, she has achieved what many only yearn for.

The Ravele community in the Sinthumule area came together under one shade to give Jininka a princess' welcome. She and an entourage of fellow musicians had travelled from Gauteng to come to celebrate the young woman's achievement right in the village of her birth.

A procession of well-wishers along with surviving members of the Holy Servants Choir, for it was in this choir where Jininka started her musical journey, went out to welcome her into the tent in song. The Holy Servants Choir gave her a choir's uniform T-shirt to wear for the entire duration of the function.

"Today we are honoured to have one of our own as a Satma winner," said a local veteran choral master, Muhali Magwala. "I observed little Jeanie (Jininka) when she was still with The Holy Servants Choir and I could tell she was going somewhere in life. Her voice was pure and distinct."

During the occasion, it was revealed that Jininka joined The Holy Servants Choir when she was only eight years of age and she was the group's youngest member. Wherever the choir went to sing, people would always shower her with gifts or money in consideration of her beautiful voice and other choral members were always envious of that. "We celebrate Jininka's success," acknowledged Takalani Raphulu, former member of the Holy Servants Choir and a man who discovered the young Jeanette.

"Music and success had always been sitting in the heart of her soul. That's why she pursued music professionally."

The Holy Servants Choir disbanded in 1998. For Jeanette Nkanyane, that was only the beginning of another musical quest. Armed with zeal and self-esteem, she went up to Johannesburg to see if there were recording companies who could read her talent and assist her in recording. By 2002 she had met the celebrated reggae artist Humbulani Ramagwedzha, who channelled her into the musician she would become in the near future.

In 2005 her first album Love Life came out and one song in it, 'Ni Tshi Tamba Ni Tambe Zwavhudi', became a hit both on national radio stations and in the streets. Two more albums and three Satma nominations followed and Jininka was now a source to be reckoned with. In 2007, the year in which her mother, Vho-Emah Nkanyane, passed away, she was nominated for a Satma award against the equally talented Maduvha Madivha. Unfortunately neither of them won the award, after it was won by an artist from another province.

"I knew I would win it one of these days," she reveals her strength. "That's why I kept working and working. But today, as for my winning the SATMA, I thank all those who have been associated with me musically, from the days of the Holy Servants Choir to where I am today. My late mom had supported me from early on and I believe she's always watching over me now from where she is. I also encourage all youngsters to go to school first, before they think of music. The music industry is very delicate, you must know that."

Jininka attended Magovhani and Maguluvhe Senior Primary Schools. For the secondary phase of her school career, she attended Sinthumule High.