--- description: South African Uber driver and opera singer Menzi Mngoma got a boost from a viral video posted by a passenger who recorded him singing. title: This Opera-Singing Uber Driver Rides His Way to a Five-Star Rating image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Opera-Singing Uber Driver Rides His Way to a Five-Star Rating From Fans Around the World  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 15, 2019 3:56 PM CUT  by [Raisa Bruner](/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 15, 2019 3:56 PM CUT Word to the wise: next time you get in [an Uber](https://time.com/5588432/uber-ipo-tough-times-staff-email/ "undefined"), maybe it’s time to ask about your driver’s secret talent. That seems to have worked out for South African driver Menzi Mngoma and [passenger Kim Davey](https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/east-coast-breakfast/uber-driver-menzi-mngoma-releases-his-first-song/ "undefined"), who has helped Mngoma find a global stage for his opera singing abilities after ending up in his car in Durban — and being wowed by his tenor. Thanks to some [viral exposure](https://www.facebook.com/kim.davey.520/videos/pcb.10161658964345332/10161658961710332/?type=3&theater "undefined") after Davey shared a video of her musical ride on Facebook, Mngoma has become something of a local celebrity. He even recently released [his first single,](https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/east-coast-breakfast/uber-driver-menzi-mngoma-releases-his-first-song/ "undefined") the pop-leaning “Feel the Love,” which still showcases his operatic vocals. (Watch out, [Josh Groban](https://time.com/5401631/josh-groban-bridges/ "undefined")!) As [news reports](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/07/13/738594345/video-of-an-uber-driver-in-south-africa-singing-opera-goes-viral "undefined") have uncovered, 27-year-old Mngoma has long been a passionate singer and musicology student, practicing for many hours per week and harboring an ambition to become a performer for years. But as a dad, he’s also taken the route of holding down a day job as a driver for the ride-sharing app. That may not last too much longer: a [crowdfunding campaign](http://gotalent.co.za/send-menzi-to-hollywood.html "undefined") is helping him with a quest to attend a [music convention](http://www.ipopla.com/ "undefined") in Los Angeles, and he’s been [offered an audition](https://ewn.co.za/2019/05/31/dream-opportunity-for-durban-uber-driver-after-passenger-films-him-singing "undefined") for the Cape Town Opera. Opera and musical careers can be risks, but Mngoma seems confident in his potential. Even as a kid, he told NPR, he was committed to opera over more popular genres of music like R&B. “I can go to every range, I can pronounce the Italian in the way that I did,” he says of his singing. And now thanks to his newfound fame, the internet will be rooting for him to succeed. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5626522/uber-driver-opera-singer/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5626522/uber-driver-opera-singer/"},"headline":"Opera-Singing Uber Driver Rides His Way to a Five-Star Rating From Fans Around the World","datePublished":"2019-07-15T15:56:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:59:31.164Z","description":"He even released a new single","url":"https://time.com/5626522/uber-driver-opera-singer/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Social Media","viral","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5626522/uber-driver-opera-singer/","name":"Opera-Singing Uber Driver Rides His Way to a Five-Star Rating From Fans Around the World"}}]}] ```