Basadi in Music Awards 2026 Rewinds Five Years Of African Excellence

There are moments in history when women do more than occupy space — they change the meaning of it.

Seventy years ago, on 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to South Africa’s Union Buildings in a defining act of courage and resistance. Their message was clear: women would not be silenced, restricted or relegated to the margins of society. Their legacy continues to reverberate through every generation of women who stand up, speak out, create, lead and claim their place.

It is against this powerful historical backdrop that the Basadi in Music Awards (BIMA) marked its fifth anniversary with an evening dedicated to women, music, culture and legacy.

Held at Joburg Theatre on Saturday, 8 August 2026, the landmark fifth edition embraced the theme REWIND — an invitation to look back at the moments, women and milestones that have shaped the awards while confidently looking towards what comes next.

And what better year to celebrate five years of Basadi than a year in which South Africa is reflecting on seven decades of women’s collective power?

REWINDING THE JOURNEY

Since its inception, Basadi in Music Awards has grown beyond a conventional awards ceremony. It has become a cultural platform recognising the talent, influence and contribution of women across music and entertainment.

The fifth anniversary theme was therefore both nostalgic and forward-looking. REWIND revisited the distinctive chapters of Basadi’s journey — from the regal elegance of Ball Gowns & Tiaras, to Glam with a Touch of Africa, Girl in the Mirror and Four Elements of Nature. In doing so, the awards transformed their history into a living celebration of fashion, music, identity and female creativity.

The timing felt particularly significant.

The 1956 women marched because they understood that visibility mattered. They understood that representation mattered. And they understood that the future could not be built without women having a voice in shaping it.

Seven decades later, Basadi is contributing to that continuing story — this time through the power of music, entertainment and the creative economy.

FOUR WOMEN. FOUR ERAS. ONE STAGE.

The evening brought its own moment of nostalgia when four formidable women in South African entertainment — Unathi, Moozlie, Anele Zondo and Lerato Kganyago — reunited as hosts.

Their presence was a fitting expression of REWIND: four women representing different chapters of the country’s entertainment landscape, brought together to celebrate the women writing the next ones.

On stage, the celebration moved effortlessly between established icons and contemporary voices, showcasing the depth and diversity of African music.

The performance line-up featured Kelly Khumalo, Thatohatsi, Monique Bingham, Makhadzi, Lira, Nia Pearl, MaWhoo, Nothando Hlophe and Anele Zondo, creating a musical journey that crossed generations and genres.

Internationally acclaimed artist Monique Bingham, who was also honoured with the International Recognition Award, added a distinctly global dimension to an evening rooted in African excellence.

MAWHOO LEADS THE WINNERS

Among the evening’s biggest winners was MaWhoo, who walked away with two major honours: Amapiano Artist of the Year and the Highest Airplay Award for Bengicela.

Her double victory reflects not only her growing influence but also the extraordinary global momentum behind Amapiano — a sound born in South Africa and increasingly embraced by audiences around the world.

But if MaWhoo represented the contemporary pulse of African music, the evening was equally intentional about honouring the women whose contributions have shaped the cultural landscape over decades.

HONOURING THE WOMEN WHO BUILT THE CULTURAL ARCHIVE

Music legends Simphiwe Dana and Thandiswa Mazwai received the G100 Gallo Renaissance Award, recognising their extraordinary contributions to South African music and culture as Gallo celebrates its centenary.

Two distinguished careers were further celebrated through Lifetime Achievement Awards, presented to Dr Nothembi Mkhwebane and Esta M.

And in a celebration of influence that extends far beyond music, entertainment powerhouse Bonang Matheba received the Trailblazer of the Year Award, recognising her pioneering contribution to the entertainment industry.

These honours gave REWIND its deeper meaning: remembering that today’s visibility is often built on the work of women who came before.

THE 2026 BASADI IN MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS

FROM WATHINT’ ABAFAZI TO WOMEN WHO SHAPE CULTURE

The symbolism of this fifth anniversary is difficult to ignore.

In 1956, women marched to the Union Buildings to demand recognition of their humanity, freedom and rights. Today, women are occupying stages, boardrooms, studios, production houses, newsrooms and creative enterprises — building careers, industries and cultural legacies of their own.

The journey is far from complete. But it is undeniable that the sound of women’s voices has become impossible to ignore.

As Hloni Modise Matau, Founder and CEO of Basadi in Music Awards, puts it: “REWIND was about honouring where we come from, celebrating how far we have come and making sure the women shaping our future know that they belong.”

That sentiment captures the connection between the 1956 generation and today’s generation beautifully. The women of 1956 left a legacy of courage. Today’s women are extending that legacy through creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership and cultural influence.

A PLATFORM THAT IS LOOKING BEYOND SOUTH AFRICA

The fifth anniversary also signals an ambitious new chapter for Basadi.

The awards are expanding their Pan-African reach, opening selected categories to participation from across the continent and creating greater opportunities for collaboration, visibility and cultural exchange among African women in music and the wider creative economy.

For Joburg Theatre, the partnership represents the importance of creating platforms where women can be seen, celebrated and remembered.

For broadcaster SABC2, the celebration extends beyond the theatre to audiences across South Africa, with the awards scheduled for broadcast on 16 August — taking the Basadi story into millions of homes.

As Dichaba Phalatse of SABC Video Entertainment noted, Basadi reflects “the heartbeat of South Africa” by celebrating women whose voices, creativity and talent continue to shape the country’s cultural identity.

And that is perhaps the most powerful thing about an awards platform such as Basadi: recognition is not merely applause. Recognition creates visibility. Visibility can create opportunity. And opportunity can change the trajectory of a career.

FIVE YEARS WRITTEN. A NEW CHAPTER AHEAD.

Manaileng Maphike, Managing Director of Maphike Inc. and a member of the Basadi in Music Awards Advisory Board, captured this progression succinctly: “Recognition creates visibility, and visibility creates opportunity.”

Five years into its journey, Basadi has created a growing archive of women whose work deserves to be remembered — from emerging artists taking their first major steps to established icons whose careers have helped define South African music.

REWIND was therefore never simply about looking backwards.

It was about understanding that the future is built from what we choose to remember.

Seventy years after thousands of women stood together at the Union Buildings, their famous declaration continues to resonate: Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo.

You strike the women, you strike a rock.

In 2026, that rock continues to move — through music, through culture, through business, through creativity and through generations of women determined to leave the world better, louder and more inclusive than they found it.

Basadi in Music Awards has spent five years writing its own chapter in that continuing story.

The rewind is complete.

Now, the next chapter begins.