Jimmy Nevis speaks out: ‘Change starts with us’ (Video)

South African singer Jimmy Nevis has spoken out directly to men on gender-based violence, sharing a pointed message on social media that goes beyond his previous musical activism on the issue.

Nevis opened his message with a direct appeal: “Dear brothers… What are we doing?”

He argued that GBV isn’t a distant issue, but something present in “our homes, our families, and our circles of friends.”

WHO JIMMY NEVIS IS

Nevis is a South African singer, songwriter and producer from Athlone, Cape Town, known as one of the country’s most consistent chart-toppers over the past decade.

His music blends pop and R&B with a distinctly South African identity, and beyond his upbeat hits, his songwriting has increasingly embraced vulnerability and social consciousness.

Earlier this year, Nevis released “PREY”, a single written directly in response to South Africa’s GBV crisis, debuting it live at the 2026 Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

The track, and its accompanying music video featuring women dressed in black in silent protest, was created in solidarity with advocacy efforts led by Women For Change.

WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAID

In his latest message, Nevis challenged a common assumption directly.

“We read the headlines about GBV in South Africa and tell ourselves, ‘That doesn’t exist in my world.’ But it does,” he said.

“It’s so much closer than we think it is.”

He then shifted the focus specifically onto men’s responsibility.

“We spend so much time telling women how to stay safe, but women’s safety is our responsibility to uphold,” he said.

His closing message was direct and urgent: “The time to stay silent is long past. Speak out when you see something is wrong. Change starts with us.”

WHY HIS MESSAGE FITS A BROADER PATTERN

Nevis has been consistent on this issue beyond just his music.

In an earlier interview with Expresso, he called on men to be active in confronting GBV before it hits closer to home.

He framed it as something requiring genuine intervention, rather than passive awareness.

His latest statement continues that same thread.

It moves from a musical platform into a more direct, personal appeal to other men specifically.

It’s genuinely notable to see a prominent male artist use his own platform this way.

Rather than reinforcing the more familiar pattern of safety advice aimed at women, he’s redirecting responsibility for GBV prevention onto men themselves.

Whether that message lands the way he hopes remains to be seen, but it’s a meaningfully different kind of intervention from what’s usually heard in this conversation.

Do you think messages like this from male public figures can genuinely shift how men engage with GBV prevention?