Gugu Madonsela
KwazuluNatal has every reason to celebrate this awards season, as vocal powerhouse Zawadi Yamungu has landed three nominations at the Basadi in Music Awards(BIMA) 2026, alongside a nomination for her manager, Mela Mtimande, in the Artist Manager of the Year category. Together, the pair’s nominations tell the story of a partnership that started as friendship and grew into one of the most promising manager-artist relationships in the industry today.
Zawadi Yamungu is nominated for Best Styled Artist of the Year, Best Feature Artist of the Year, and Samro Songwriter of the Year. The nominations come off the back of a standout period for the singer, following the June 2025release of her album Ngimuhle and a string of high-profile features alongside some of Amapiano’s biggest names. Zawadi has become one of the most sought-after vocalists in the Amapiano and Afro-house scenes, best known for her ongoing collaborationswith genre giant Kabza De Small. Together they have delivered hit after hit, including “Khanya Njalo,” “Hlala La,” and the widely loved “Lawuleka,” which also features MDU aka TRP. Her soulful, vocal-driven style has added a distinctive layer to Kabza’s signature sound, making every release a moment fans look forward to.
Beyond her work with Kabza De Small, Zawadi’s footprintcontinues to grow across the scene. She teamed up withDe Mthuda and Sipho Magudulela for the streaming hit “Gijima,” and featured on Darque’s deep, electronic Afro-house tracks “Thula Thula” and “uMoya” from the Open Your Eyes EP. She has also worked with Gaba Cannal on “Hlala Nam” from his iKhaka Lomculo project and appeared on SGVO’s dub version of “Lawuleka.”
Behind the scenes of this rise has been Mela Mtimande, whose own nomination for Artist Manager of the Year places her among some of the most experienced names in artist management in the country. Mela’s journey with Zawadi began as a friendship before evolving into a professional relationship, first as her PR Manager and now as her Artist Manager, a partnership that has spanned more than a year.
The dual nominations reflect just how closely the pair’s success is intertwined. As Zawadi’s star continues to riseacross the Amapiano and Afro-house scenes, Mela’s steady hand behind the scenes hasplayed a key role in shaping and guiding that journey, a bond that started organically and has grown into a genuine industry partnership worth celebrating.
How KZN and beyond fans can vote for Zawadi and Mela
Voting for the 2026 Basadi in Music Awards is officially open and closes on 18 July 2026 at 23:59 SAST. Fans in KwaZulu-Natal and across the country can support Zawadi and Mela through two methods:
SMS Voting (South Africa, Eswatini & Lesotho), text the following to 33329:
“Styled Zawadi Yamungu” – for Best Styled Artist of the Year
“Feature Zawadi Yamungu” – for Best Feature Artist of the Year
“Songwriter Zawadi Yamungu” – for Samro Songwriter of the Year
“Manager Mela Mtimande” – for Artist Manager of the Year
Each SMS costs R1.50, free SMS bundles do not apply, and there is no limit to the number of entries, so fans can vote as many times as they like in each category.
Online Voting (open globally): Supporters can vote via the official Basadi in Music Awards voting page. Online votes also cost R1.50 each, sold in a minimum bundle of 10 votes (R15.00 total) via secure credit card payment.
The 5th annual Basadi in Music Awards will host its Vanguard Circle and Main Awards ceremony over two nights, 7-8 August 2026, in Johannesburg. For KZN, these nominations are a proud reminder of the talent and hard work coming out of the province, both on stage and behind the mic. Now it’s up to the fans to help bring the awards home.
