Benjamin Jephta

Musician | Composer | Artist | Band Leader

Benjamin Jephta (32) is a bassist, composer, and educator who has established himself as one of South Africa's premier double and electric bass players. With three albums as a bandleader, several soundtrack compositions, and numerous award nominations and wins, Jephta was recognized in the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list and received the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz award in 2017.

Jephta’s diverse career includes work as a film and TV composer, scoring for productions on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. His compositions often fuse traditional jazz, funk, hip-hop, and African musical styles, creating soundtracks that are modern yet culturally resonant. After earning his Master's degree from The Berklee Global Jazz Institute in Boston, Jephta moved to New York City, where he performed with acclaimed artists such as Danilo Perez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jason Palmer, and Dianne Reeves. Currently based in Johannesburg, Jephta balances his time between performing, scoring for film and TV, and lecturing in Jazz Studies and Film Composition at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he mentors the next generation of South African musicians.