ANNOUNCING THE 2026 FAIR PLAY SOUTH AFRICA WINNERS
Meet the two winning artists using their music to speak out against corruption, inequality and social injustice in Mzansi.
More than 150 artists from across South Africa applied to the 2026 edition of Fair Play South Africa, reflecting the country’s strength to speak out against corruption, unfairness and social injustice. With so many talented applicants, the jury has now chosen two amazing young South African acts to represent at Ngeke! Festival 2026.
This year’s Fair Play South Africa winners are:
BLVQ IRIS & The Crossroads, a Cape Town collaboration blending hip hop, jazz and soul into a uniquely South African blend with powerful messages, and
ZANAH, an artist combining traditional and contemporary influences to amplify and empower community voices.
As Fair Play SA winners, both will perform at the Ngeke! Festival on 7 November at the Nest in Johannesburg, alongside renowned artists including Nomfundo Moh, The Brother Moves On, DJ Nodiggity and former Fair Play South Africa winner Xtreem Makhayeni. Through their winning songs, both tackle issues at the heart of Fair Play, using music to challenge the systems and inequalities that shape people’s lives.
CLOSE-UP ON THE WINNERS AND THEIR SONG
BLVQ IRIS & The Crossroads — “Imali”
BLVQ IRIS & The Crossroads is a collaboration between rapper, producer and songwriter BLVQ IRIS and The Crossroads, a group of musicians from the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town. Merging trap, Latin jazz, blues and alternative R&B, they create an emotionally charged, socially conscious sound rooted in the vibrancy and complexity of Cape Town.
Their song, “Imali”, examines money as a corrupting force and its links to survival, power and morality in contemporary South Africa. It explores how poverty and inequality can drive people into cycles of desperation and exploitation, while those in power continue to benefit from the same systems. Ultimately, “Imali” confronts the moral dilemmas created by an unequal society, encouraging listeners, in the group’s words, “to question what we have normalised, who benefits from the systems around us, and what we are willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of money, success and power.”
ZANAH — “Difference”
ZANAH is a dynamic South African hip-hop artist and storyteller whose music blends ancestral memory, rebellion and radical self-love. Her lyrics explore identity, heritage, spirituality and the struggles of marginalised communities, honouring the past while capturing the nuances of modern life.
Her song, “Difference”, exposes two contrasting worlds in South Africa: one marked by the daily struggle for food, dignity and survival, and the other by affluent suburban comfort.
Yet ZANAH shows that, beyond this socio-economic divide, everyone is fighting their own demons. Ultimately, the song is about recognising that, although our circumstances may appear opposite, we are all shaped by a system that keeps us separated and distracted rather than supporting one another.
SEE THE WINNERS PERFORM LIVE
It’s now less than one month until the winning acts take the stage at Ngeke! Festival on 7 November 2026 at The Nest in Johannesburg, joining artists and audiences in a celebration of music and a collective refusal to accept corruption as business as usual.
Stay tuned and follow the Ngeke! Festival updates on socials:
Instagram: @ngeke.festival
Facebook: @ngekefestival
Website: https://ngeke.co.za/
ABOUT FAIR PLAY SOUTH AFRICA
Fair Play is a global music initiative that uses music to amplify young voices against corruption and injustice. Since 2010 it has reached more than 10 million people through over 400 music videos by artists from more than 90 countries. Fair Play South Africa is delivered by JM International, the European Union (EU) Delegation to South Africa, the EU-funded Enhancing Accountability Technical Assistance Facility, Transparency International, Corruption Watch and the Public Protector South Africa.
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