- The South African Music Awards recently announced Nandi Madida and Lawrence Maleka as its hosts for this year's show.
- The prestigious awards ceremony will take place in Sun City and will be aired on Sunday, 28 August 2022.
- Nandi Madida says working with Lawrence will be fun since they are good friends who get along well.
Earlier this month, the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) revealed that TV personalities Nandi Madida and Lawrence Maleka will be the hosts for this year’s award ceremony that will take place in Sun City on Sunday, 28 August 2022.
Speaking to TRUELOVE, Nandi says that she is especially excited to be hosting the SAMAs because the world will get to finally celebrate South African music.
“I’m very excited to be hosting because over the past two years, South African music has been in the forefront globally and I’m really looking forward to celebrating that. Amapiano has become a huge thing and I can’t wait to celebrate the artists who have gotten out of a dark place during the lockdown. We really got to see so much creativity amongst our artists during the lockdown and now we can finally celebrate that,” she explains.
READ MORE | Amapiano genre dominates SAMAs categories this year – plus full list of nominees
“Having won a SAMA myself two years ago, I can relate and it’s amazing that I’ll be hosting the show because music and presenting are two of my passions. I’m also elated because this year’s SAMAs will be a celebration of life and music,” she continues.
Nandi tells us more about preparing for the awards show, hosting alongside Lawrence Maleka as well as her successful career.
How are the preparations for the show coming along?
The preparations are going well and it’s all so exciting. So, what most people don’t know is that Lawrence Maleka and I have been friends for years so co-hosting with him will be lots of fun because it’s natural to interact with him and I’m excited for people to see that. Our chemistry on the day will be super natural and fun and I can’t wait for people to see that.
Another exciting thing is that this year’s show will be broadcast on three different platforms, which are TV, TikTok and YouTube. That’s especially exciting for me because it’s a different element from what we’re used to and it means the awards show will cater to every demographic, just like how music includes everyone.
We always look forward to your red carpet looks. For the SAMAs, who did you work with on your looks and what can we expect to see?
I can’t really reveal much because I want everything to be a surprise. However, all of the designers I’ve worked with are South African designers and I’ve always believed in working with local designers. Expect many designs and looks that show how music goes hand in hand with fashion. The fashion will be very artistic and will be reflective of music and iconic looks. You’ll get to see me in a way you’ve never really seen me before.
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How many outfit changes will you have throughout the evening?
I don’t want to say but expect many outfit changes.
How do you think yours and Lawrence Maleka’s presenting styles compliment one another?
Apart from us being friends and always making jokes, I must say that Lawrence is very suave and professional, and that’s the similar thing about our presenting styles. We’re both very experienced and pedantic and eloquent. We also always want to be on top of our game and even though we joke a lot and get along quite well, I know there’ll be a balance on stage while we have a great time and celebrate everyone.
Having started your TV career at 15, what would you say is the secret to remaining relevant so many years later?
I’d say it’s having the tenacity and being emotionally intelligent and not letting things get to you. There are always negative things that are said and positive ones as well and those waves come and go. I’ve learnt that things come and go and I’ve focused on honing my talent and becoming better. I’ve never really been about the noise and I always listen to my gut instinct because I want to focus on my goals and the legacy that I want to leave behind for my loved ones.
Can we expect to hear new music from you in the near future?
Yes, definitely. I actually just dropped a song last Friday titled Want You. The song features Lebza TheVillain who is an amazing DJ and producer who is very talented. The song was fun to do and we wanted to bring back the nostalgic house music sound that is similar to the song I did with DJ Kent. Lebza TheVillain added that amapiano touch to it and I think everyone will enjoy it because it’s got the old and the new.
What can we expect from Nandi Madida for the rest of the year?
There’s a lot I’m working on but in November I’ll be launching my e-commerce site, which is all about making beauty accessible. The site will feature many businesses that have really good products that are accessible to everyone. I’m really passionate about this project and chose to launch in November because that’s when all the sales happen.
Another exciting thing is the production I’m working on in Los Angeles. I can’t say much about it but people must be on the lookout for that. I’ll also be collaborating with Studio Cape Town and that’s exciting because I’ll be working with my husband, Zakes Bantwini, on launching a new alcohol brand.
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