Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, born 21 October 1995 in Los Angeles, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper whose music spans pop, R&B, and hip-hop. She has won 5 American Music Awards and a Grammy for "Kiss Me More" (2022) with SZA.

Her Parents

Father: Dumisani Dlamini — South African Zulu actor, dancer, and composer (best known for the role of "Crocodile" in the original 1992 South African production of Sarafina! — also in the 1992 film with Whoopi Goldberg).

Mother: Deborah Sawyer — American Jewish (born in 1969 to a Russian-Jewish family in New York); painter.

The parents separated when Doja Cat was very young; she has had limited contact with her father, who has remained in South Africa.

Her Brother

Raman Dlamini — elder brother (about three years older); a musician.

Her Maternal Grandparents

Her maternal grandmother is Marjorie Adelheid Sawyer née Adelman, an artist. Her maternal grandfather descended from Russian-Jewish immigrants to NYC.

Her Path

Doja Cat (the name combines "Doja" — her favourite cannabis strain, since renamed for branding — and "Cat" — her zodiac sign feline) started releasing music on SoundCloud at 16. She signed with RCA Records at 17.

The Dlamini Family Tree at a Glance

Father: Dumisani Dlamini — South African Zulu actor/composer (Sarafina!).

Mother: Deborah Sawyer — American Jewish painter.

Brother: Raman Dlamini — musician.

Doja Cat:

  • Born 21 October 1995, Los Angeles
  • Moved to ashram in Rural Sai Anantam, California, age 5 to age 11 (where she practised Hindu spiritual life)
  • Released debut album Amala (2018)
  • Breakthrough viral hit: "Mooo!" (2018)
  • Albums: Hot Pink (2019, "Say So" #1 Billboard), Planet Her (2021), Scarlet (2023), Vie (2025)

Personal: Unmarried; no children.

What the Dlamini Family Story Teaches Us

A South African Zulu father. An American Jewish mother. A heritage that combines two continents and two religious traditions. A childhood that included years in a Hindu ashram in California. A musical career built on artistic restlessness across genres.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Doja Cat story carries the same lesson. Modern multi-heritage families produce children who carry multiple traditions. Doja Cat's identity is South African Zulu and American Jewish at once. Write down every strand. The full picture is what makes the tree real.

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