Octavia Rachabane is from a celebrated musical family from Pimville Soweto. Her elder brother was the great saxophonist, Leonard Rachabane. Leonard gave Octavia her first break, performing in his band at the age of seventeen. Octavia went on to study at Pretoria Technikon and has performed professionally with Louis Moholo’s historic ‘Back to the Roots’ concert with his Dedication Orchestra, alongside greats such as Glen Mafoko, Bheki Khoza and Khaya Mahlangu. She has also performed internationally in the Graceland revival concerts.

Octavia Rachabane joined the Sausage Films Music and Heritage Education Programme in 2021. She is the creator of EPISODE 13 ... Reinvention :

Barney managed to give his family ‘stability’. This was very rare for so-called jazz musicians of that era.