Tsakani Mhinga

She was found dead in a hotel room in Bryanston, Johannesburg by hotel staff on 27 February 2006, of what seemed to be either a drug overdose or a drug-induced suicide.

On the day before her death, Sunday 26 February 2006, she, apparently, was entertaining a few friends, including kwaito star Mandoza, at the hotel where she was staying. The gathering subsequently turned into a late-night party in her hotel room. At around 10:00 on Monday 27 February she spoke on the phone with her manager, and at around 11:00 a friend dropped by, wanting to take her to lunch. She declined, saying she was going to take a bath. Mhinga was found dead at approximately 13:30 by hotel staff, after she failed to answer their calls. Speculation that someone else was in the room with her is derived from the fact that her partially dressed body was found covered with a sheet. Police have stated though, that her body did not have any marks on it, and that there was no sign of forced entry into her room. The most common assumption is that the cause of death was either a drug overdose or a drug-induced suicide.

Her third and last album, Black Butterfly (2003) was considered her best, it was seen as a celebration of life and showcased the abundant music styles that TK excelled in. It included the upbeat In This Piece, featuring Stagga, How Do You Feel, Black Butterfly which received a warm reception and play listed on local radio stations, and included a poignant rendition of Over the Rainbow, of which TK professed a certain fondness and in celebration of this album, TK had the image of a butterfly tattooed on her in celebration of the new album. She said it was the record company boss' idea. "I made him phone my mother and ask her permission. She was fine with it. I'm very happy with it.... I think it's beautiful." For the album, she received her third consecutive best R&B SAMA award and for best music arrangement for the title track with her longtime producer Alexis Faku at the 2004 SAMA awards .

Her music is a fusion of styles, with tracks ranging from upbeat hip-hop which could be heard on the 2003 single In This Piece to sultry R&B ballads songs like Drowning in Heaven, Where Did I Go Wrong and some kwaito remixes thrown in tracks like No.1 Tsotsi and How Do You Feel.

In 2002, TK performed with international act Foxy Brown at the Gauteng R&B Hip Hop Festival and opened for Keith Sweat and Deborah Cox on their South African concerts. TK was also a participant in Celebrity Big Brother (South Africa) during this year. She was also offered the part for the pantomime ; Sleeping Beauty but was pregnant at the time so she couldn't do it.

In 2002, she caused minor tremors posing nude for local women's magazine Pace, while pregnant. She had one child, her son Oratile, and raised him as a single parent. She refused to reveal the identity of her son's father, who left her before the birth, saying that only the baby needs to know who his father is. TK's single Mind yo' business off her debut album speaks of the realities of life where a Prince Charming does not exist. Her last relationship ended sometime around Valentine's Day, two weeks before her death, after which she subsequently moved into a hotel in Bryanston, while looking for a new home.

This was followed in 2001 by a second album, Tsakani, that included the club hit Eject yo' ass, and the R&B radio hit I Find It So Strange. The 23-year-old singer won her second consecutive best R&B album at the SAMA awards and nominated for best female vocalist of the year.

Tsakani "TK" Mhinga (23 November 1978 – 27 February 2006) was a multiple SAMA award winning South African R&B singer, arranger and songwriter. In her lifetime she unquestionably occupied South Africa's R&B throne and was one of the country's prominent vocalists.