Acclaimed South African artist Thandiswa Mazwai has won four South African Music Awards (SAMAs) for her critically lauded album Sankofa, released in 2024. The achievement marks a major career milestone and reinforces Mazwai’s position as one of the most influential voices in African music.
At the SAMAs, Sankofa was honored with the following awards:
Best Female Artist of the Year
Best Produced Album of the Year
Best African Adult Contemporary Album
Best Engineer
The wins celebrate the artistic excellence, sonic innovation, and cultural depth of Sankofa, an album that draws on heritage, memory, and forward-looking African expression. Since its release, the project has resonated widely with audiences and critics alike, cementing its place as one of the standout bodies of work of the year.“Thank you to the SAMAs for this incredible honour. This has truly been the year of Sankofa."Following this SAMA triumph, Mazwai now turns her focus toward Sankofa Festival, set to take place at Carnival City on 28 February 2026.
Inspired by the same themes that underpin the award-winning album, the festival promises a powerful celebration of music, culture, and creative legacy.“Sankofa heritage fest is an important for us to come together as a community to foster a culture of love,healing and joy."Headlining the evening will be Thandiswa Mazwai herself, whose trailblazing career has spanned decades of genre-defying artistry, from her early days with Bongo Maffin to her acclaimed solo projects, including Sankofa, which released last year and is up for 5 SAMA nominations. She will be joined by friends and collaborators, representing a dynamic mix of African genres and generations. The full lineup will be announced in the coming months.Thandiswa says, “It’s almost unbelievable that I am now turning 50 and I have spent more than half my life in the music the world. My first radio hit was 30 yrs ago with a group called Jacknife and I am honoured to still be one of the top nominated artists at the SAMAs for my album Sankofa.
I have been truly blessed.”The Sankofa Heritage Festival is dedicated to preserving and celebrating indigenous African music. Each performance will echo ancestral rhythms and bridge the past, present, and future of African sound. This event marks the beginning of what promises to become an annual African cultural celebration, devoted to honouring heritage through music.Thandiswa says, “There is a need for more artist curated festivals that centre music, freedom & community. I am excited to add my own voice to that intention. I am creating this festival to not only give space to upcoming artists but to also celebrate our cultures and collective humanity.”This year’s festival has been made possible through the support of the Department of Sports Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy Initiative.
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