Zubair Taylor, aka Zubi The MC, originally from Maitland, spent the first 24 years of his life dazzling the crowds on the football pitch.
Today, the crowd has changed and so did his stage.
The former Pinelands High School pupil was forced to bring his rising football career to end. The 28-year-old represented top clubs such as Hellenic FC, Two Oceans Academy, Vasco da Gama and Saxon Rovers, where he won numerous awards and also played in some notable competitions.
After spending some time abroad, where he obtained a Bsc in Sports management in the USA at the King University, located in Bristol, Tennessee, he started playing for the local team.
Quickly grabbing the attention of his surroundings, Zubi was snapped up by the Arkansas Wolves in Arkansas, USA.
He unfortunately picked up an injury that would end his playing career after having had a successful season.
Zubi visited doctors all over America and underwent several scans before he was diagnosed with arthritis in his foot, news he battled to come to terms with.
“Due to this severe and life long injury, I was forced to stop playing the beautiful game that I grew up knowing and loving so much,” Zubi said.
He continued his studies, graduated in 2021 and got offered a contract to join a team in the Australian 2nd division.
“This was unfortunately the same time I received the news that I will not be able to play anymore. Sadly, things fell through and the deal had to be turned down after long conversations and considerations with the management, which was mutually agreed upon,” Zubi said.
In 2022, he made the choice to return to South African shores, unsure of what he was going to do. He spent three months searching for work, applying for jobs and being turned down week after week.
“I still felt the disappointment as my dream was to play professional football and that was over. For about two or three months, I was depressed, tired and had no idea what I was going to do,“ he said.
During his recovery and time off, Zubi discovered TikTok, where he had been building an audience through videos showcasing his unique Amapiano his dance moves. His videos quickly went viral and before he knew it, he was performing in front of live audiences and being invited to big events.
With thousands of followers already, he thought of using this opportunity to move onto the big stage, spotting a gap in the entertainment industry.
In February 2023, he embarked on his master of ceremonies journey, having already featured at some of Cape Town’s hottest events.
“This just grew quite rapidly, where I now find myself amongst the biggest names in Cape Town and South Africa. This whole experience has been humbling but also very good as we look a year and a few months later, I now have a residency and enjoy what I do,” Zubi said smiling.
