The accident happened on a motorway near Johannesburg, when the person driving her car appeared to lose control before the fatal crash. A police spokesman said the singer’s car flipped over and went into a tree.

Lebo Masotha was one of the higfhest profile stars of the urban South African music known as kwaito, after topping the charts wih her album Dancing Queen a couple of years ago and her appearances on South African TV soaps.

At the time, of Brenda Fassie’s death two years ago, Lebo Masotha told the Mail & Guardian newspaper: “You can’t deny death, you can’t fear it. I’m sure God has a better place for us, if you’re a believer.”

Leslie Sedibe from record label EMI said staff were “devastated”. “I don’t think that there is any artist after Brenda Fassie, who could match her talent and energy on stage.”