DR.MADALA KUNENE AND SIBUSILE XABA: Their Album “kwaNTU” Receives A SAMA Nomination

Sawubona.

The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) has announced the nominees for the 32nd Annual South African Music Awards, and Dr.Madala Kunene and mnumzane Sibusile Xaba‘s collaborative album kwaNTU(2025) has been nominated in the Best African Adult Contemporary Album category.

The SAMA32 ceremony, themed the “Homecoming Edition,” will take place at the Sun City Superbowl in the North West Province on 15 August 2026.

The Nomination

kwaNTU faces strong competition in its category, alongside:

The winner will be announced at the Sun City ceremony alongside 24 other categories celebrating South Africa’s rich musical catalogue.

kwaNTU is the result of about a decade-long mentorship between the two musicians. Dr. Madala Kunene, known as the “King of Zulu Guitar,” is revered as one of the greatest masters of the Zulu guitar tradition, no matter what genre.   

Sibusile Xaba, is someone we will soon no longer need to introduce. A blend of everything dark and black, straight from the musically rich air of Madadeni, a township in Newcastle.  

About the Album

The album is a product of a music camp that took place at Kwantu Village, Utrecht, KwaZulu. It took place from 16 February 2026 with rehearsals, and the recording on 20 and 21 February.

After just a few months of the release and inevitable blessing of stages, music journalists are already claiming it was recorded in just “one night”. Wait until it’s “one take”. But to get a behind the scenes look at the music camp, check out the three significant days that gave birth to the whole project. Click link on bottom of each image.

At the music camp, Bafo and Shwabada were joined by bhut’Gontse Makhene on percussion, and sis’  Fakazile on vocals. Pay attention to what she did on Uthisha, where she stood out as a poetic songwriter and vocalist on the natural kind. And history will forever be witness of the role Makhene played on the album.

There were later studio recordings of umnumzane Daniel “Stompie” Selibe on flute, and bhut’Naftali on vocals.   

Kunene described the experience as: “…staying in a peaceful place that allowed us to be free and safe in creating music at any time of the day”.

The Significance of This Nomination

On Bafo’s side, it came right in time –though late-nyana bakwethu. Yes, he has been nominated before, but without a win. Though at the time, he was not a recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga in gold, nor had an honorary doctorate for his music. Plus, maybe a colleague of mine was right when he claimed, “The industry owes the old man!”

Then on Shwabada’s side, as someone who is gaining his place internationally, this would fully establish his place nationally for sure. Europe he has done, Africa he is doing, now breaking out with a tour in Japan. Tjo, I wish I wear a t-shirt he could put in a suitcase and wear for his performance, so I could see how the world’s greatest car designers react to music from KwaZulu.

The nomination is also a triumph for independent South African labels: kwaNTU was co-released by New Soil and Johannesburg’s Mushroom Hour Half Hour.

What This Means

This SAMA32 nomination cements kwaNTU as one of the most significant South African releases of the past year. For Kunene, it is further recognition of a career dedicated to preserving and evolving the Zulu guitar tradition. For Xaba, it is another milestone in his journey as one of South Africa’s most distinctive musical voices.

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