The Basadi in Music Awards is proud to announce that celebrated media personality, broadcaster, entrepreneur and global businesswoman Bonang Matheba will be honoured with the 2026 Trailblazer Award at the 5th Annual Basadi in Music Awards, taking place on Saturday, 8 August 2026, at the Joburg Theatre.
\nPresented under this year\u2019s theme, REWIND, and the campaign Africa to the World, the Trailblazer
\nAward recognises an individual whose vision, courage and innovation have transformed the
\nentertainment industry while creating opportunities for generations to come.
\nFew women have influenced the South African entertainment landscape as profoundly as Bonang
\nMatheba.
\nFor more than two decades, she has consistently challenged convention, broken barriers and redefined
\nwhat is possible for African women in media and entertainment. From captivating audiences as one of the
\ncountry\u2019s most recognisable presenters on LIVE (later Live Amp), to becoming one of South Africa\u2019s
\nmost celebrated voices on YFM and Metro FM, Bonang has built a broadcasting career defined by
\nexcellence, authenticity and influence.
\nHer remarkable career has seen her host some of Africa\u2019s most prestigious music and entertainment
\nevents, including the South African Music Awards (SAMAs), Metro FM Music Awards, MTV Africa
\nMusic Awards, Miss South Africa, Africa Magic Viewers\u2019 Choice Awards, the BET Awards
\nInternational Red Carpet, Global Citizen: Mandela 100, and numerous landmark television productions
\nthat have reached audiences across the continent and beyond.
\nBeyond broadcasting, Bonang has built one of Africa\u2019s most successful lifestyle brands. As the founder of
\nHouse of BNG, executive producer and star of the award-winning reality television series Being Bonang,
\nbestselling author of From A to B, and an accomplished entrepreneur, she has redefined what it means to
\nbuild an African brand with global appeal.
\nHer journey has inspired an entire generation of women to dream boldly, lead confidently and create
\nopportunities beyond traditional boundaries. Through her relentless pursuit of excellence, Bonang has
\nbecome more than an entertainer\u2014she has become a cultural icon whose influence spans media,
\nbusiness, fashion, luxury, philanthropy and African storytelling.
\nHloni Modise Matau, Founder and CEO of the Basadi in Music Awards, said: \u201cSome people succeed
\nwithin an industry. Bonang Matheba transformed it.She showed an entire generation of African women
\nthat it is possible to dream without limits, occupy spaces once thought unattainable and build a globally
\nrespected brand while remaining unapologetically African. Whether she was hosting South Africa\u2019s
\nbiggest music stages, dominating radio and television or building one of the continent\u2019s most successful
\nluxury brands, Bonang has consistently raised the standard of excellence.<\/p>\n
The Trailblazer Award is reserved for individuals whose impact changes the course of an industry.
\nBonang has done exactly that. She has inspired women to own their voices, recognise their value and
\nunderstand that success is something you intentionally create. As Basadi celebrates five years of
\nchampioning women in music, there is no one more deserving of this honour. We are immensely proud to
\ncelebrate a woman whose legacy will continue to inspire Africa and the world for generations to come.\u201d
\nBonang Matheba said: \u201cThank you to the Basadi in Music Awards for this incredible honour, to be
\nrecognised alongside women who've shaped this industry is a privilege I don't take for granted. An award
\nlike this means so much because it's not just recognition, it's affirmation, from women who understand
\nexactly what it took to get here, and that means more to me than I can put into words. It's made me reflect
\non why I started House of BNG and the Bonang Matheba Foundation in the first place, because building
\nsomething bigger than yourself is always worth it. These businesses exist because of the doors that were
\nopened for me, and this award is a reminder to keep opening them for the next generation. As an MCC
\nbrand, we\u2019re already growing beyond South Africa, and the ambition is bold: I\u2019d love to see House of BNG
\non the world stage and show the world African luxury in the way I've always known it, world class,
\nundeniable, and ready to shine. To every woman out there: start today, back yourself and watch how far it
\ntakes you.\u201d
\nDichaba Phalatse, Head of Video Entertainment at SABC2, said: \u201cBonang Matheba has redefined
\nwhat it means to be a broadcaster, storyteller and cultural ambassador. From music television to live
\nentertainment, she has consistently raised the standard of excellence while representing South Africa
\nwith distinction on some of the world\u2019s biggest stages. At SABC2, we are proud to celebrate a woman
\nwhose journey continues to inspire the next generation of broadcasters, creatives and entrepreneurs. As
\nthe broadcast home of the Basadi in Music Awards, we applaud this well-deserved recognition of a true
\ntrailblazer whose impact extends far beyond television and into the heart of African culture.\u201d
\nXoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, Chief Executive Officer of Joburg City Theatres, said: \u201cJoburg City
\nTheatres is honoured to celebrate a woman whose career has become part of South Africa\u2019s cultural
\nstory. Bonang Matheba has spent more than two decades breaking barriers, challenging perceptions and
\nproving that African excellence belongs on every stage around the world. As we host the fifth anniversary
\nof the Basadi in Music Awards, it is fitting that we recognise a woman whose influence has transcended
\nentertainment to become a symbol of ambition, resilience and possibility. Her legacy reminds us that
\nwhen women are given the platform to lead, they inspire generations to dream without limits.\u201d
\nManaileng Maphike, Managing Director of Maphike Inc., Legal Partner of the Basadi in Music
\nAwards and Member of the Advisory Board, said: \u201cTrailblazers are those who challenge convention,
\ncreate opportunities where none existed and leave every industry stronger than they found it. Bonang
\nMatheba has done exactly that. Through her excellence, innovation and unwavering belief in her own
\nvision, she has redefined success for African women in media, business and entertainment. She has
\nshown that leadership is not simply about achieving personal success, but about opening doors for others
\nto follow. The Basadi in Music Awards is proud to honour a woman whose influence will continue to
\nshape the future of African creative industries for generations to come.\u201d
\nThe Basadi in Music Awards believes that true trailblazers leave every industry they enter stronger than
\nthey found it. Bonang Matheba\u2019s influence can be measured not only through the stages she has
\ncommanded, the audiences she has captivated or the businesses she has built, but through the
\nconfidence she has inspired in countless young African women who now believe that their dreams are
\nvalid and their ambitions limitless.
\nAs the Basadi in Music Awards celebrates its fifth anniversary, this honour pays tribute to a woman
\nwhose excellence, resilience, innovation and leadership continue to redefine what African success looks
\nlike on the global stage.
\nThe 2026 Basadi in Music Awards promises an unforgettable celebration of women shaping African
\nmusic through world-class performances, prestigious honours, powerful collaborations and unforgettable
\nmoments as Africa\u2019s leading celebration of women in music continues to take African excellence from
\nAfrica to the World.<\/p>\n
Event Details
\nBasadi in Music Awards 2026
\nVenue: Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg
\nDate: Saturday, 8 August 2026
\nTickets are available now at www.joburgtheatre.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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