02/12/2025
SAMA 31 BLOOMS WITH “FLOWERS FOR THOSE WHO KEEP OUR NATION SINGING” – CELEBRATING SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC IN FULL COLOUR
The South African Music Awards (SAMA 31) are set to bloom in glorious colour under the theme “Flowers For Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing”, a celebration of creativity, resilience, and the ever-blossoming spirit of South African music. This year’s theme is both a tribute and a metaphor, giving our musicians their flowers while they can still smell them.
In an industry that has weathered storms, adapted through digital revolutions, and stood resilient through cultural shifts, “Flowers For Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing” is a reminder that recognition is not just about trophies, it’s about honouring artistry, longevity, and the ability to inspire. The SAMA 31 stage will burst into life as a garden of gratitude, where every performance, nomination, and collaboration reflects the richness of South Africa’s sonic landscape.
“We wanted to celebrate artists not just for their achievements, but for their courage to create,” says Unati Gwija, SAMA Spokesperson. “‘Flowers For Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing’ is a call to appreciation, to give our artists their flowers now. It’s about recognising the musicians, producers, composers, and collaborators who continue to make South Africa sing, who turn struggle into sound and rhythm into resilience.”
Inspired by global traditions of gifting flowers as a gesture of gratitude and admiration -from curtain calls in British theatres to bouquets for prima donnas in Paris, the SAMA 31 ceremony reimagines that ritual in a proudly South African context. Each award will symbolically represent a bloom: unique, fragile, and radiant in its own way.
The hybrid event, set for 14 December 2025, promises to merge physical spectacle with digital innovation, extending the fragrance of celebration far beyond the auditorium. With livestreaming, interactive moments, and community-driven storytelling, audiences will experience a fresh, inclusive expression of what it means to honour South African excellence in music.
SAMA31 is a closed event to allow us to produce the best possible show for audiences at home. Don’t worry - you’ll still get to experience all the magic through our digital platforms and subsequent broadcast on SABC1.
This year’s creative direction will spotlight sustainability and artistry, using floral installations crafted by local designers and visual storytellers. The visual language of “Flowers For Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing” will embrace organic textures, vivid hues, and symbols of growth - reflecting how artists continue to bloom, even in harsh soil.
Gwija adds: “We are in an age where the world watches South African music with new eyes. ‘Flowers For Those Who Keep Our Nation Singing’ is our way of saying thank you to every artist who has made that possible. Whether they are household names or underground innovators, this is their bouquet - a collective standing ovation.”
With powerhouse partners including the Motsepe Foundation, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO), Gauteng Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, YouTube, and media partner SABC - SAMA31 stands tall as the gold standard of South African music.
As the petals unfold for SAMA 31, one thing is clear: South African music continues to grow wild and beautiful, rooted in heritage and reaching toward new horizons.
SCOOP MAKHATHINI AND PAMELA MTANGA SET TO DAZZLE AT SAMA31
The South African Music Awards are set to dazzle once again-this time with the magnetic presence of Scoop Makhathini, born Siyabonga Ngwekazi, the acclaimed writer, TV presenter and powerhouse multimedia entrepreneur. Scoop will take centre stage as host of the highly anticipated 31st edition of the SAMA, a dynamic hybrid celebration taking place on 14 December 2025.
He will be joined by a formidable co-presenter, Pamela Mtanga forming a duo celebrated for their electrifying chemistry and unmatched ability to enthral audiences with their bold, captivating, and effortlessly charismatic presenting style.
SAMA Spokesperson Unati Gwija expressed confidence in the pairing, saying “The SAMA has always been a platform that honours excellence, and our presenters must embody that spirit. Makhathini and Mtanga bring a rare combination of experience, authenticity, and cultural resonance. Together they will deliver a hybrid show that is fresh, compelling, and worthy of the legacy of South African music.”
PAMELA MTANGA – THE NEW BLOOM WITH AN ELECTRIC AURA
Pamela Mtanga is one of South Africa’s brightest rising stars — a multimedia entrepreneur, broadcaster, and digital storyteller whose ascent has been nothing short of magnetic. Born with a natural command of the room and an intuitive grasp of youth culture, Pamela represents a new generation of creators shaping the national narrative.
Her journey began in the digital space, where her distinct voice and impeccable sense of style caught the attention of major brands and audiences across the continent. Armed with a Media & Communications degree from Nelson Mandela University, she transitioned seamlessly into television, becoming a standout presenter on Channel O’s Massive Music, a platform that sharpened her ability to translate sound into story and performance into connection.
Beyond the screen, Pamela is admired for her entrepreneurial drive, her influence in fashion and beauty, and her commitment to telling authentic African stories. She brings to the SAMA stage a radiant blend of freshness, confidence, and cultural fluency, a bloom symbolic of the creativity, ambition, and vibrancy celebrated this year.
SIYABONGA “SCOOP” NGWEKAZI – THE CULTURE BEARER, ROOTED & RESONANT
Few cultural commentators have shaped South Africa’s entertainment landscape the way Ngwekazi has. With a career spanning decades, he has become a trusted interpreter of urban culture, a voice that moves effortlessly between music, fashion, art, and the pulse of the streets.
Scoop first captured national attention on platforms like Street Journal (SABC1), where his sharp wit, magnetic presence, and instinctive understanding of cultural movements cemented him as a defining personality of his era. A writer, presenter, producer, and co-founder of Parental Advisory Productions, Scoop has consistently championed the stories behind the sound, the philosophies, struggles, and triumphs that colour South Africa’s artistic identity.
Together, Pamela and Scoop embody the duality of this year’s celebration: freshness and wisdom, vibrancy and depth, new petals and steady roots. They will lead the evening not as presenters alone, but as cultural guides, honouring our artists while bringing the spirit of “giving them their flowers now” to life in every moment.
