LIFE CUT SHORT: Kariega rapper and dancer Dugulth ‘Junior King’ Ferreira (supplied)

The music industry is mourning the death of Kariega-born rapper and dancer Dugulth “Junior King” Ferreira in a head-on collision in the Free State on Thursday.

It is understood Ferreira, 29, was travelling between Colesburg and Bloemfontein in the early morning when the grey Volkswagen Polo TSI he was in collided with a light truck on the N1 near Verkeerdevlei.

His two young children survived the horror crash and are said to be in a stable condition in hospital.

According to a close family friend, Ferreira waspronounced dead in hospital later.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thabo Covane said emergency services responded to the scene at about 7.25am.

“Upon arrival, responders found the two vehicles had collided head-on,” Covane said.

“There were four passengers and the driver inside the Volkswagen Polo.

“The [injured passengers] were rushed to Pelonomi Trauma in Bloemfontein for further treatment.

“The drivers of both the Volkswagen Polo and the truck escaped unharmed.

“The police visited the family members at the hospital and it was confirmed by the sister that the deceased is Dugulth Ferreira.”

Lucinda Windvogel said in a statement on behalf of the family it was with profound sorrow that they could confirm the death of Ferreira, known to many as Junior King.

“Junior King was a beloved son, father, brother and artist whose talent and energy touched countless lives.

“While we grieve deeply, we wish to assure the public that his children are safe.”

Windvogel said the family was humbled by the outpouring of love and tributes from fans, friends and fellow artists across SA.

“His legacy as a performer and cultural voice will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

“We kindly ask for privacy during this time of mourning and we thank everyone for their continued support and compassion.”

Covane said the road had since been cleared and traffic was once again flowing normally.

“A case of culpable homicide was opened at Verkeerdevlei police station for investigation,” he said.

“Our deepest condolences are extended to the family of the deceased.”

According to the report from the first responders, the Polo was travelling in the south lane towards Bloemfontein while the truck was driving towards Winburg in the north lane.

Videos of the accident, showing the mangled sedan, have since been circulated on social media.

Friends and collaborators have taken to social media to express their shock and sadness, saying SA had lost one of its greatest up-and-coming artists.

Ferreira started his career as a dancer, working with well-known artists such as Cassper Nyovest, AKA, Costa Titch and Early B.

After gaining international recognition for his dancing, he began his journey as a musician.

He also owned and ran King Dance Studio in Kariega, teaching hundreds of children the art of dance.

Many of these young dancers went on to feature in his TikTok and music videos.

Together with Kayla Pieters, who also goes by Kay Medusa, Ferreira’s music career took off with a bang in 2024, garnering millions of views on his YouTube channel.

The duo’s biggest song to date was Ghetto.

This song propelled them both into the spotlight, and in 2025 they performed across SA to thousands of fans.

In November, Ferreira and Pieters were brought onto the Liefde By Die Dam stage by Early B and wowed crowds with their latest music as well as their world-famous dance routines.

Pieters could not be reached for comment but posted a picture of herself and Ferreira on social media with the words: “Time out ref. I miss my brother.”

Long-time collaborator and close friend Ludwig Adams, also known as Luda G, wrote on Facebook: “Rest in peace Junior King. May your music live forever.”

MANGLED WRECK: The Volkswagen Polo TSI Dugulth ‘Junior King’ Ferreira, 29, was travelling in (SUPPLIED)

Donovan van Staden, a close friend of Ferreira’s and parent of a pupil at the Junior King Dance Studio, said the parents and children were devastated.

He said they all broke down when news of their mentor’s death broke.

“I do not know what to say. My daughter is crying, everyone is crying.

“It feels like I have lost a brother.

“My daughter has been dancing for Junior since she was eight years old; she is 12 now.”

Van Staden said his daughter had joined the dance school at a time when there were not as many pupils, but as they started to grow, they started winning competitions.

In 2024, they qualified in Cape Town which saw them being selected to travel to Dubai, where they also returned home with medals.

They were once again selected to go to Dubai in 2026 to compete in the World Supremacy Battlegrounds championship.

The studio, which focuses on uplifting the youth through dance, offers various styles such as hip-hop, amapiano and more.

“We became a little family. This is all so very sad,” Van Staden said.

Explaining their close relationship, he said Ferreira would often call him when he was stressed and ask him to pray for him.

Ferreira had spent a lot of time on the road, travelling to various gigs.

He said when Ferreira became known as a dancer, he wanted to show off his versatility, so he pursued a career as a rapper.

“He then chased this career as a rapper.

“I remember laughing at the time. I said, ‘bra you are a dancer and now you are rapping’.”

Van Staden said he was not sure what would happen with the studio now.

Kris “KrissiDance” Swartbooi said the news came as a shock as she had recently seen Ferreira at the opening ceremony of the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex’s UDaba Dance Festival.

Ferreira and his crew had performed their production, Violence Based on Gender, which made it onto the main stage of the festival.

She said the news of Ferreira’s death was heartbreaking in so many ways.

“Our dance community has become so tight-knit.”

She said Ferreira not only had talent but also the skill set to match it.

“I feel so bad for his studio and the kids because I have seen first-hand how they respect him and have learnt so much from him — they were a little family,“ she said.

“He had so much talent and no-one can ever take that away.”

In his final post on Facebook, Junior King posted about his Revenge album and how proud of it he was.