South Africa’s biggest music celebration is heading home this weekend as the 32nd South African Music Awards (SAMA32) take over Sun City in the North West.
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Dubbed the ‘Homecoming Edition,’ SAMA32 takes place on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at the iconic Sun City Superbowl, bringing together the country’s biggest recording artists, producers, songwriters and music-industry figures for one of the biggest nights on the local entertainment calendar.
With the awards falling on a Saturday, many fans will be making a weekend of it in Sun City — and there is plenty to know before heading to the North West.
Who is hosting SAMA32?
This year’s hosts are Cassper Nyovest and Zanele Potelwa.
Cassper’s appointment is one of the more talked-about moments surrounding this year’s ceremony. The rapper has had a complicated relationship with the SAMAs over the years but confirmed in July that the two sides had resolved their differences after roughly a decade.
For a ceremony billed as a homecoming, Cassper is also a fitting choice: he is one of the North West’s most recognisable musical exports.
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This year’s biggest nominees
The SAMA awards cover 25 categories, all reflecting the breadth of South Africa’s music industry, from amapiano, hip-hop and gqom to gospel, jazz, maskandi, rock, pop and traditional music.
Among the artists attracting major attention are Kelvin Momo, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Sjava, Nasty C and Tyla, who is back home and expected to receive a prestigious award; who knows, maybe the international star will also perform.
Kelvin Momo received two nominations in the Best Amapiano Album category, for Mthuthuzeli and Thato Ya Modimo. Kabza De Small’s Bab’Motha is also recognised in several categories, including Best Amapiano Album, Best Engineered Album and Best Collaboration.
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What to expect Saturday night
The main attraction is, of course, the awards ceremony itself.
One of these categories, Record of the Year, was decided by the public. Voting opened ahead of the ceremony, with fans able to vote for their preferred nominee via SMS. Everyone is eager to see who is chosen by the public.
Expect a mixture of red-carpet fashion, major category announcements, performances, acceptance speeches and appearances from some of the country’s biggest music personalities.
The awards will also provide a snapshot of where South African music stands in 2026 — from the continued dominance of amapiano to the strength of gospel, indigenous music, hip-hop, jazz and alternative sounds.
SAMA32 arrives at an interesting moment for South African music, and there is plenty of intrigue heading into Saturday night.
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