SOUL SISTERS 2026: CAPE TOWN’S POWERHOUSE WOMEN TAKE OVER THE GRAND ARENA THIS SATURDAY

Carletheia and Rene Johnson are among an all-star female line-up bringing soul, hits and homegrown talent to GrandWest on Saturday, 3 October

Cape Town is in for a serious celebration of female voices this Saturday night.

Soul Sisters 2026 takes over the Grand Arena at GrandWest on Saturday, 3 October 2026 at 8pm, bringing together an impressive collection of Cape Town singers for an evening of soul, nostalgia, contemporary music and powerhouse live performances.

Backed by a live band, the line-up includes Salomé, Rene Johnson, Leonie le Roux, Karin Kortje, Sasha-Lee Davids, Carletheia, Jody Williams and Andrea Fortuin.

It is a bill that brings different generations, musical styles and personalities together on one stage and two performers worth watching particularly closely are Carletheia and Rene Johnson.

CARLETHEIA: FROM ATHLONE TO THE GRAND ARENA

For Carletheia, Soul Sisters represents another significant step in a career that has been built steadily rather than overnight.

Born Carla Trout and raised in Athlone, she started singing in church choirs at around five years old, absorbing influences from gospel, jazz, pop and classical music.

But there is another side to her story. Carletheia completed a Bachelor of Education degree in Foundation Phase teaching through UNISA in 2022, and that grounding perhaps explains something about the warmth and connection she brings to her music.

Her purpose as an artist is wonderfully straightforward:

“To touch people through the music I sing.”

Her 2023 single “Attention”, drawing on pop, dance and Afrobeat influences, helped introduce her to a wider audience and entered the Kfm Top 40 in early 2024.

Her journey subsequently took an international turn through her connection with acclaimed American singer, songwriter and producer PJ Morton. Carletheia opened for Morton in Cape Town during his Cape Town To Cairo Tour, while Morton also wrote and produced her single “I’ll Always Be There.”

She has also embraced the digital world, using regular TikTok live performances to connect directly with audiences well beyond Cape Town.

Yet underneath the streaming, social media and growing profile remains an artist who describes herself as “quirky, funny, energetic, daring and kind.”

Her motto?

“Be Authentic.”

That authenticity should feel very much at home on the Soul Sisters stage.

RENE JOHNSON: “KINDNESS IS TIMELESS”

Then there is Rene Johnson, an artist whose connection with an audience goes far beyond simply having a powerful voice.

Johnson sums up her approach to life in four words:

“Kindness is timeless.”

For her, music is ultimately about people.

“My purpose is to love and care for people. That’s everyone’s purpose,” she says.

Her creative inspiration comes directly from lived experience, while engaging and connecting with people remains one of the things she values most about performing.

Musically, Johnson draws inspiration from a wonderfully broad collection of artists and styles — from Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson and Gwen Stefani to Toto, Earth, Wind & Fire and Christopher Cross, alongside contemporary worship music.

And audiences apparently have one particular request whenever she performs: “Valerie.”

Even when Johnson isn’t planning to sing it, somebody invariably asks.

“Someone always requests it,” she says.

Behind the performer is also a woman deeply connected to family and community. Johnson describes becoming a mother as a defining moment in her life, identifies her children as a major source of motivation and remains involved in church and community outreach.

That ability to combine performance with genuine human connection is part of what makes her such a natural fit for Soul Sisters.

ONE STAGE, MANY STORIES

That is perhaps the real attraction of Soul Sisters 2026.

This isn’t simply a collection of singers assembled for a concert. Each woman arrives at the Grand Arena with her own journey, catalogue, personality and relationship with Cape Town audiences.

From established names to artists whose careers continue to gather momentum, the show celebrates the depth and diversity of female talent the city continues to produce.

For Carletheia, Saturday night represents another destination on a journey that has already taken her from an Athlone church choir to social media audiences, radio playlists, original releases, international collaborations and increasingly important stages.

Asked about her favourite journey so far, she says simply:

“My music career. It has taken me to places I never imagined I would go.”

On Saturday, one of those places will be the Grand Arena.

For Rene Johnson, meanwhile, the evening offers another opportunity to do what she values most: sing, connect and, in her own words, “be the light.”

Together with the rest of the Soul Sisters cast, they will help turn GrandWest into a celebration of women, music, sisterhood and exceptional Cape Town talent.

Presented in collaboration with Smile FM, Cape Argus, GrandWest and Daily Voice, Soul Sisters 2026 promises an evening of familiar songs, big voices, live musicianship and memorable performances.