After a life-changing motorcycle accident, local award-winning DJ and producer Prince Kaybee says the hardest part of recovery wasn’t just the physical pain; it was the mental stillness that came with being forced to stop.

At a media launch in Bryanston on June 12, he said the accident left him with multiple fractures, requiring a long hospital stay

He said he spent close to three months in recovery care. In that time the challenge was adjusting to a life where he could not move freely or do anything for himself.

“After the accident, I think what was difficult was just being there in hospital, doing nothing. People coming to visit you and eating stuff that you don’t like.”

He added that even basic routines became mentally difficult because of how aware he was of his inactivity. “I was very conscious of the idea that I am not doing any physical work.”

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Beyond the physical recovery, he says the mental side was shaped by repetition and endurance, rather than sudden breakthroughs. Days were filled with small distractions and support systems rather than dramatic turning points.

When asked what rebuilding mental confidence actually looked like, he pushed back on the idea that it was a transformative or highly structured process.

“I don’t have any crazy story. It was just the ordinary. Endure what you are going through and then you’ll be fine.”

As his recovery progressed, he eventually moved from running to cycling, a shift he describes as unexpectedly smooth.

“The process was very smooth because cycling is very lenient on the joints, and I love speed. The bicycle is not that quick, but being on it, especially going downhill, is thrilling.”

He added that the first ride after transitioning into cycling made the sport feel natural almost immediately. “The transition was amazing. I felt like home the first ride.”

While his public image now centres on endurance and resilience, he says much of what he went through was not visible to the outside world.

“The parts they didn’t see is when I couldn’t walk, couldn’t run. You have a boot on, blood flow issues, you always have to keep the leg elevated.”

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He added that pain management became part of daily life during recovery. “You live on painkillers. It teaches you a lot about resilience.”

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Now, Prince Kaybee is preparing for one of his most demanding physical challenges yet: A 600km, three-day cycling journey from Johannesburg to Durban as part of the HiPace Cycle Challenge, taking place from June 13 to 15.

The route will take him across Gauteng, the Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal before finishing at Durban’s South Beach.

Alongside the physical challenge, he is also preparing new music, which he says will be released later this month after years of development. “Music is coming on June 26. It’s part of an album I’ve been working on for two to three years. Very intentional, very curated. I hope it translates the way I see it in my mind.”

For him, the ride and the music sit in the same chapter of his life: Rebuilding, continuing, and moving forward at a pace shaped by what came before.

“You just endure what you are going through. Then you’ll be fine.”

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