In their home country Freshlyground are being heralded as nothing less than the "new sound of the new South Africa".

Their ability to fuse traditional South African music (such as kwela and African folk) with more contemporary grooves is a formula that has earned them a massive following amongst both black and white audiences, no mean feat in a country still struggling with the legacy of Apartheid. The lead singer is Zolani Mahola whose distinctive voice contributes much to the band's unique sound.

Freshlyground launched their debut album, Jika Jika, in early 2003. The great success of this album ultimately kick-started their career and re-affirmed their reputation as a fresh and vibrant young face in South African music. The much-needed exposure from the album resulted in an invitation for the band to perform at both the Harare International Festival of the Arts and the Robben Island African Festival.

Early in 2004, Freshlyground participated in the opening of Parliament of South Africa by performing before President Thabo Mbeki in an event organised as a celebration of ten years of democracy in South Africa.

In late 2004, Freshlyground released their second album, Nomvula a storming success which went on to achieve double platinum in South Africa. Their latest album Ma'Cheri was released in September 2007.