WeeklySA_AdminACHIEVER: Media icon and entrepreneur Bonang Matheba will receive the 2026 Trailblazer Award att fifth annual Basadi in Music Awards in Johannesburg…
By Jake Mawela
Bonang Matheba’s influence across broadcasting, entertainment and business will be celebrated Saturday when she receives the 2026 Trailblazer Award at the fifth annual Basadi in Music Awards.
The ceremony takes place at the Joburg Theatre under the theme REWIND and the campaign Africa to the World.
The Trailblazer Award recognises an individual whose vision, courage and innovation have helped transform the entertainment industry while opening doors for future generations.
Matheba, one of South Africa’s most recognisable media personalities, has spent more than two decades building a career spanning television, radio, entrepreneurship, publishing, fashion and philanthropy.
She first became a household name as a presenter on the popular music programme LIVE, later renamed Live Amp. She went on to establish herself as a radio personality on YFM and Metro FM, building a reputation as a polished and influential broadcaster.
Her career has included hosting some of Africa’s biggest music, entertainment and cultural events, among them the South African Music Awards, Metro FM Music Awards, MTV Africa Music Awards, Miss South Africa and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
She has also appeared on the BET Awards International Red Carpet and hosted Global Citizen: Mandela 100, extending her profile beyond South Africa to audiences across the continent and internationally.
Beyond broadcasting, Matheba has built a lifestyle and business brand through ventures including House of BNG, her luxury beverage company. She was also the executive producer and star of the reality television series Being Bonang and is the author of the book From A to B.
Basadi in Music Awards founder and chief executive Hloni Modise Matau said Matheba’s career had changed perceptions of what African women could achieve in the entertainment industry.
“Some people succeed within an industry. Bonang Matheba transformed it,” Matau said.
“She showed an entire generation of African women that it is possible to dream without limits, occupy spaces once thought unattainable and build a globally respected brand while remaining unapologetically African.”
Matau said the award was reserved for people whose contribution had changed the course of their industries.
“We are immensely proud to celebrate a woman whose legacy will continue to inspire Africa and the world for generations to come,” she added.
Matheba described the recognition as an affirmation from women who understood the work and sacrifices behind her success.
“An award like this means so much because it’s not just recognition, it’s affirmation, from women who understand exactly what it took to get here,” she said. She said the honour had reminded her why she established the House of BNG and the Bonang Matheba Foundation.
“These businesses exist because of the doors that were opened for me, and this award is a reminder to keep opening them for the next generation,” Matheba said.
“To every woman out there: start today, back yourself and watch how far it takes you.”
SABC2 head of video entertainment Dichaba Phalatse said the broadcaster was proud to celebrate a woman whose journey continued to inspire young broadcasters, creatives and entrepreneurs.
“As the broadcast home of the Basadi in Music Awards, we applaud this well-deserved recognition of a true trailblazer whose impact extends far beyond television and into the heart of African culture,” Phalatse said.
Joburg City Theatres chief executive Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema said it was fitting that the awards’ fifth anniversary should honour a woman whose influence had grown beyond entertainment.
“Her legacy reminds us that when women are given the platform to lead, they inspire generations to dream without limits,” Nduneni-Ngema said.
Established in 2022, the Basadi in Music Awards celebrates and promotes women working across the African music industry. The organisers say this year’s ceremony will feature performances, collaborations and honours recognising women shaping the continent’s music landscape.
The awards take place at the Joburg Theatre. Tickets are available through the theatre’s website.
