The Voice. The Leader. The Peacemaker.
The History
A defining force in one of the greatest political and human transformations of the modern era.
John Pretorius is a singer, songwriter, humanitarian and entrepreneur. Today he stands at the forefront of a global mission for truth, justice, unity, peace, and the restoration of faith and dignity.
Sekunjalo Ke Nako
“Now Is the Time”
In 1990, hours after Nelson Mandela walked free from prison, John sang Sekunjalo Ke Nako at the Grand Parade rally in Cape Town. Mandela broke into what was then coined the ‘Madiba Jive.’
The message
Released in 1993, it became a song of social conscience for a nation trapped under the apartheid regime. It exposed colonialism and carried one message: peace and reconciliation are more powerful than hatred and war.
The campaign
Mandela recognized its true essence. He asked John to join him on the campaign trail and made it his election song. He wrote his first presidential manifesto around it, and a whole nation began to sing it as a second national anthem.
“The optimism for the future of a bright new South Africa was palpable.”
John Pretorius, recalling 1994.
Nelson Mandela Foundation, Moments with a Legend.
In Mandela’s own words
Dare Not Linger
Nelson Mandela · Macmillan · 2017
In his memoir, Mandela names John and the song that carried his campaign.
Part I, chapter 1 · The 1994 election
Free At Last
with Jermaine Jackson
A duet with Jermaine Jackson, produced under the guidance of Quincy Jones. A global symbol of liberation, marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era for Africa and the world.
A historic performance · 1998Performed at Nelson Mandela’s 80th birthday celebration, as dignitaries from around the world gathered to honor him.
Mandela honors John.
“Best wishes to an outstanding star who has helped to put South Africa on the map.”
Nelson Mandela, in his own hand · 26 July 1998
Mandela wrote the note himself and handed it to Oprah Winfrey to pass to John, in front of Michael Jackson and other world leaders and superstars.
More than a stage.
World Peace Ambassador, beside Nelson Mandela.
For over twenty years, John was far more than a performer at Mandela’s side. He was present in the rooms where history was made: private meetings, formal occasions, gatherings of leaders from across the world.
Mandela sought his counsel. A doctor in human behavioral science, John brought a rare understanding of people to that trust, and Mandela valued it.
The work led further still: time with Princess Diana, and with others who shaped their era.
On the stage, the voice. In the room, the one Mandela trusted.
Performed at
- 01Carnegie HallNew York
- 02Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrationsWashington, D.C.
- 03Before heads of state and world leadersWorldwide
On the world’s stages
Performed for leaders. Alongside legends.
Leaders
- Nelson Mandela
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Bill Clinton and other U.S. presidents
- Margaret Thatcher
- Tony Blair
- Fidel Castro
- Yasser Arafat
- Muammar Gaddafi
- and many more…
Icons
- Michael Jackson
- Stevie Wonder
- Ray Charles
- Harry Belafonte
- Annie Lennox
- Shakira
- Wyclef Jean
- John Legend
- Jermaine Jackson
- Jennifer Hudson
- LL Cool J
- and many more…
Ke Nako – It’s Time.
The official slogan and musical identity of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. More than a song, it became a unifying global moment, reaching billions and placing Africa at the center of the world through music and shared humanity.
John played a leading creative role in shaping the World Cup’s musical identity, and in bringing it to Africa for the first time. He was instrumental in the creation and naming of the official album, Listen Up!, and contributed multiple works to it.
Ke Nako appears on Sony Music’s Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album, alongside other works by John.
Los Angeles, California
Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2023 John was honored for his contribution to music and global cultural impact.
The Music
Out now, and on the way.
Angelface
feat. Princess Rachel
Some men write love songs. John waited twenty years to find who his were for. Written nearly twenty years ago, Angelface is the first song he has released with his wife, Princess Rachel: a love song, sung at last as a duet.
Popular on Spotify
Coming soon
Songs the industry won’t touch.
Truth.Justice.God.
New songs from John, and new songs with Princess Rachel. Songs about corruption, human rights and the subjects the industry avoids, and love songs just as true.
The Movement
One word, handed to John.
When Nelson Mandela first stepped into his office as president, he handed John a note with a single word on it: Invictus. He told John to find out what it meant.
I thank whatever gods may be
William Ernest Henley, “Invictus”
For my unconquerable soul.
It was the poem Mandela read in prison. Today it is the name of John’s company.
The company
Invictus Productions
The company that carries John’s work forward, built on three pillars.
A different way to create.
Invictus exists to prove it can be done differently.
Own it.
Every song, every film, every idea stays with the artist who made it. Outright.
Direct it.
Every creative call stays with the artist, so the work answers to purpose, never to the industry.
Pass it on.
John works this way today. Invictus is building it for every artist who comes next.
The mission
At a time when the world stands divided, his mission is clear: to be a force for unity, truth, and peace across the world.
Through music, through movements, through ventures, and far beyond the stage.To remind the world what is still possible when people stand together.