PJ Powers (born Penelope Jane Dunlop in 1960) is a celebrated South African singer renowned for her decades-long career that bridged racial divides during the apartheid era. She first rose to fame in the 1980s as the powerful lead vocalist of the rock-turned-Afro-pop band Hotline, which was one of the first South African bands to deliberately play for racially mixed audiences, earning them immense popularity among black South Africans who affectionately nicknamed her "Thandeka" (The Loved One). After Hotline disbanded in 1987, Powers launched a successful solo career, and her opposition to apartheid led to a government ban on her music; however, she was famously encouraged to continue singing by a letter from Nelson Mandela while he was still imprisoned, leading to a close relationship with the future president and a performance at his 1994 inauguration. Her most internationally famous hit is the 1995 collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "World in Union," the official song of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, while her best-known original track remains the iconic township jive hit "Jabulani." Powers' music, which evolved from rock to a distinct, uplifting Afro-pop style, has earned her numerous accolades and established her as a cultural icon and humanitarian in South Africa.