Another year, another underwhelming SAMA (South African Music Awards) edition.
The 32nd annual South African Music Awards took place on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the Sun City Superbowl, but the awards themselves struggled to dominate the conversation.
Empty seats and absent winners became talking points, while Tyla emerged as the biggest story of the SAMA32 ceremony.
For the full results, see SAMA32 winners.
SAMA32 struggles with empty seats and no-shows
Hosted by Cassper Nyovest and Zanele Potelwa, this year’s ceremony continued a pattern South Africans have grown used to complaining about: thin marketing, a thinner crowd and a music industry that increasingly treats the SAMAs as optional.
The reaction on X was swift.
As shown in the X post below, one user pointed to the mismatch between having a global star like Tyla in the building and still facing a half-empty venue.
The user argued that the show should have leaned harder into her appearance to draw a crowd.
Another user expressed disbelief that the ceremony had become must-avoid rather than must-watch television, recalling when the SAMAs were the biggest night in local entertainment.
Other users pointed directly to the empty seats, questioning whether South African artists still care about the show.
Not everyone blamed the production. One widely shared response put the responsibility on the artists themselves.
The date and venue had been confirmed as early as March, the user noted in the X post below, yet half the industry still didn’t pitch up.
The response called it a matter of ego rather than a failure by the show.
The comparison was pointed: Tyla could fly home for the SAMAs while local artists based in Midrand could not be bothered to attend.
Kabza De Small, Nasty C and DJ Maphorisa were among the notable names missing from the ceremony, while Xduppy, Maphorisa’s fellow collaborator on “Abantwana Bakho”, was present to accept the award.
Umafikizolo was also not there to collect Album of the Year, the night’s biggest honour.
Other reactions also questioned why several winners did not even collect their awards.
Tyla becomes the biggest SAMA32 story
Whatever the cause, Tyla’s appearance became the night’s defining SAMA32 moment.
She accepted the AfriPure International Achievement Award alongside Bonang Matheba and a handful of South African artists.
Instead of keeping the spotlight on herself, Tyla used the stage to celebrate African musicians.
She called Cassper, Makhadzi, Babalwa M, Zee Nxumalo and Maglera onto the stage, along with many more, inviting them to share the moment with her.
“I just love my country so much and I want to take this moment to celebrate all the artists from here,” Tyla told the crowd.
She went on to celebrate the wider continent, saying: “Our music, our culture is so rich. I’m so proud of everyone and I thank you guys that I get to stand on your shoulders and get to be inspired by you everyday.”
Tyla also spoke about her pride in being South African and “and most importantly African,” adding: “I pray one day to see a unified Africa… It’s so important.”
Tyla told the crowd this was her first time attending the SAMAs.
She described it as a childhood dream she was only now ticking off, recalling that while she dreamed of travelling the world and becoming a pop star, attending the SAMAs was also a major ambition.
She also reflected on the challenge of building a career without a previous Tyla to follow.
“There’s never been a Tyla before me, I don’t have a road map,” she said, explaining that she had no one to call for guidance as she navigated her career and grew up as a woman and artist in front of the world.
She thanked South Africa for supporting her and said the country runs through everything that inspires her.
“It shows in the way I speak, the way I dance,” she said.
Tyla also singled out Bacardi, the fast-footwork street-dance style that emerged from Pretoria’s townships, as a major influence on her career.
She recalled performing Bacardi to the Grammy-winning “Water” and said the moment changed her whole life.
Blending the dance style with her hypnotic pop-R&B sound helped define the South African influence that now runs through her global music. (her signature “Popiano” style—a blend of Amapiano, contemporary R&B, and Afrobeats)
A clip of the routine posted to TikTok went viral before her flight to Rwanda had even landed.
It helped spark the #TylaWaterChallenge, pushed “Water” onto the Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately contributed to her Grammy-winning run.
SAMA32 repeats a familiar problem
The criticism surrounding SAMA32 echoes the previous year’s ceremony. SAMA31 crowned Goldmax and Thandiswa Mazwai as its biggest winners, and both artists were deserving of the honours they received.
But the ceremony also faced criticism over its scale, production and industry buy-in.
The reaction to SAMA32 went beyond attendance.
One of the night’s most widely viewed and engaged responses on X described the ceremony as a disappointment, questioning everything from the choice of presenters and performances to the show’s production and its representation of South African pop culture.
The post also questioned the absence of actors, music television presenters and other familiar faces from the stage, while criticising the awkward pauses, presentation of awards and overall running order.
The user’s conclusion was particularly pointed: “The biggest loser last night was the music lover.”
They also argued that the production had taken precedence over the music, saying the institution had chosen “mpakamo over music”.
The criticism leaves RiSA with a bigger question ahead of SAMA33: Can the organisation rebuild the SAMAs as an event South African artists want to attend?
Or does the industry itself need to show greater support for its biggest night?
For now, Tyla gave SAMA32 the moment it needed. Whether that moment can translate into a stronger awards show next year remains to be seen.
For more information on the South African Music Awards, visit the official SAMA website.
