International expertise. Two major pre-recorded talks. Direct access to industry decision-makers. The programme for Music Exchange #MEX26 is out, bringing practical music business knowledge and valuable connections to the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town on Saturday, 31 October 2026. Now in its 16th year, MEX26 gives artists, managers, producers, songwriters and entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from professionals working across the global entertainment economy. Tickets start at R150, with four days of Music Week access spanning Muziki Africa on 28 October, Pretty Loud Summit on 29 and 30 October, and Music Exchange on 31 October. Hosted by DJ Eazy, programme highlights include: Dr A’Ion Holiday and Paris Toon (USA) on building global creative platforms and international collaborations. Eric Kiafouka (Germany) on music publishing and opportunities beyond streaming. Two major pre-recorded conversations: Yonas Aregai of GoldState Music with Jason Curtis, and Jeremy Marsh and Marc Marot of the UK’s Breaking Wave Group. Gallo Music’s centenary, with Antos Stella exploring the business and legacy of a century of music. SAMRO’s senior leadership panel, hosted by CapeTalk’s Barry Mare, tackling licensing, copyright, investment and turning rights into revenue. The wider programme covers sync licensing, artist branding, leadership and AI, alongside Bothners Music Group prize giveaways. Delegates must be present to claim prizes. Tickets start at R150, with four days of Music Week access spanning Muziki Africa on 28 October, Pretty Loud Summit on 29 and 30 October, and Music Exchange on 31 October. Read the programme. Book through Quicket. https://www.quicket.co.za/events/352361-mex26-music-exchange-4-days-1-ticket/#/ Come with questions and connect with people who can help you move your career …
Matin Myers on the Show Business of Entertainment On Thursday Night 9PM
On Thursday, 15 October 2026, at 9pm, Myers joins Barry Mare on CapeTalk’s The Business of Entertainment for a conversation about his journey through the entertainment economy. Usually the interviewer, Myers steps into the guest’s chair to unpack the relationships, lessons and defining moments behind four decades in artist management, publicity, broadcasting and live events. From his longstanding working relationships to creating platforms for emerging talent, the conversation explores what it takes to build a career and help others build theirs. It also sets the scene for MEX26 on Saturday, 31 October, at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town. Hosted by DJ Eazy, the conference brings together an extensive line-up of local and international speakers, led by SAMRO’s senior leadership. Contributors include Dr A’Ion Holiday, Antos Stella, Kwelagobe Sekele, Gabisile Shabangu, Nick Matzukis, Nikilitha Mantungwa, Eric Kiafouka, ByLwansta, Lauren Bright and Paris Toon, alongside international perspectives from Jeremy Marsh, Marc Marot and Yonas Aregai. Now in its 16th year, Music Exchange connects creative ambition with practical knowledge about royalties, publishing, artist management, sync, technology and sustainable careers. Tune in to hear the journey. Attend MEX26 to help shape your own. Tickets: R150 via Quicket.Information: www.musicexchange.org.za Images: Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOzHlpuIA2fLj6hNMVOr7A Matin Myers will on the show Business of Entertainment on Thursday night 9pm Links: Boilerplate and Editor's Notes. More Info on Matin Myers will on the show Business of Entertainment on Thursday night 9pm here: X: https://twitter.com/musicexchange LinkedIn: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicexchangesa/ CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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Cape Town Musicians Unite to Stand With Jazz Legend Sammy Webber on 29th October
A solidarity concert on 29 October will bring together leading local musicians to celebrate the bassist’s contribution to Cape Town’s music scene and raise funds to support him. Those unable to attend are urged to buy a ticket in solidarity. Cape Town’s music community is rallying around veteran bassist Sammy Webber, with fellow musicians joining forces for a solidarity concert aimed at giving back to an artist whose talent, energy and dedication have helped shape the city’s musical landscape. The concert takes place on Thursday, 29 October 2026, at 11 Imam Haron Road, Claremont. Starting at 7pm, the evening will feature the Dias House Band and an extensive line-up of local artists united by a shared purpose: to support Sammy during a challenging period in his life. Tickets cost R250 and are available through Webtickets. Organiser Bevan Trevor Chetty has confirmed that all proceeds from the concert will go directly to Sammy. The appeal is simple: come out, celebrate Sammy’s contribution to Cape Town’s music scene and help make a difference. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to buy a ticket anyway, turning their support into a tangible act of solidarity. A lasting contribution to Cape Town jazz Sammy’s musical journey is closely intertwined with that of Virtual Jazz Reality (VJR), the influential quartet in which he played alongside trumpeter Ian Smith, pianist Andrew Ford and drummer Frank Paco. As the band’s bassist, Sammy provided the rhythmic foundation that allowed the musicians to explore their interplay, improvisation and distinctive musical range. His contribution went beyond keeping time; his playing helped shape the quartet’s sound and created space for its members to express themselves. On stage, Sammy brought an unmistakable energy and personality to the music. His movement, enthusiasm and infectious love of performing added another dimension to VJR’s concerts, helping create performances that audiences remembered long after …
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MEX26 Returns to Cape Town on 31 October with 12 Industry Leaders, SAMRO CEO Keynote and Four Days of FAME Week Africa Access
Cape Town, South Africa – Music Exchange (MEX), South Africa’s leading music business conference, returns to Cape Town on Saturday, 31 October 2026, bringing together 12 highly respected local and international speakers, a keynote address from SAMRO CEO Annabell Lebethe, senior SAMRO leadership, major prize giveaways from Bothners Music Group and four days of access to FAME Week Africa activities. For 16 years, Music Exchange has been built around one simple principle: delegates should leave with more than inspiration. They should leave with practical knowledge, industry contacts, business opportunities and a better understanding of how the entertainment economy works. That philosophy drives MEX26, taking place at the Protea Fire & Ice Hotel, Cape Town, under the theme, “Navigating Today’s Entertainment Economy: Strategies, Skills and Opportunities for Success.” As part of FAME Week Africa, a MEX26 ticket delivers exceptional value, giving delegates access to four days of talks, networking opportunities, and industry engagement from Wednesday through Saturday. Hosted by popular broadcaster and industry personality DJ Eazy, MEX26 will feature 12 leading speakers drawn from the worlds of music rights, publishing, artist management, technology, sync licensing, branding, entrepreneurship, leadership and artificial intelligence. A major highlight will be the participation of SAMRO’s senior leadership team, led by CEO Annabell Lebethe, who will deliver the conference keynote presentation titled “The Future of the Entertainment Economy.” Following the keynote, delegates will gain direct access to a SAMRO leadership panel featuring Karabo Senna, Chola Makgamathe, Lesego Maforah and Nobambo Goduka in a session titled “From Rights to Revenue”. THE 12 SPEAKERS AND TOPICS Dr A’Ion Holiday (USA) will open the speaker programme with “What It Takes to Create a Global Creative Platform in the US & South Africa: The Good, The Bad and The …
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Samro brings senior Leadership team to Cape Town for #MEX26
Cape Town Music Exchange (MEX) will welcome an exceptional delegation of senior executives from the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) to Cape Town for MEX26 on Saturday, 31 October 2026, bringing some of the organisation’s most experienced decision-makers to the conference. Led by SAMRO CEO Annabell Lebethe, the delegation will include senior executives responsible for licensing and sales, legal services, member services and corporate social investment. Their collective experience and industry authority will give MEX26 delegates a rare opportunity to hear directly from the people dealing every day with the issues that determine whether music creators are protected, properly represented and able to earn sustainable income from their work. For 16 years, Music Exchange has worked from one simple principle: a conference should deliver outcomes. Delegates should leave with more than inspiration. They will take away practical knowledge, valuable contacts, a clearer understanding of the entertainment economy, and information they can put to work immediately. That philosophy will again drive #MEX26, taking place in Cape Town under the theme: Navigating Today’s Entertainment Economy: Strategies, Skills and Opportunities for Success. THE FUTURE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT ECONOMY SAMRO CEO Annabell Lebethe will bring a strategic leadership perspective to MEX26 in a discussion focused on the Future of the Entertainment Economy. Lebethe is a seasoned arts and culture executive with more than two decades of leadership experience in South Africa’s creative sector. Before joining SAMRO as CEO, she served as CEO of Ditsong Museums of South Africa and previously led the Market Theatre Foundation. She also served as interim CEO of the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State, where she drove organisational stabilisation, governance reforms and strategic turnaround initiatives. Her extensive leadership experience across major South …
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UK Music Titans Marc Marot & Jeremy Marsh Join #MEX26 in Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa Two of the UK music industry’s most experienced executives, Marc Marot and Jeremy Marsh of Breaking Wave Group (BWG), will bring decades of international record-label, artist-management and creative-business experience to Music Exchange #MEX26, taking place at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town on Saturday, 31 October 2026. Between them, Marot and Marsh have worked at the highest levels of the international music business and contributed to the careers of artists including U2, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, Take That, The Cranberries, PJ Harvey, Neneh Cherry, Soul II Soul, Richard Ashcroft and Yusuf/Cat Stevens. Their participation speaks directly to what Music Exchange has stood for over its 16 years: putting people with genuine industry experience in the room with South African artists, managers, songwriters, producers, entrepreneurs and students. Marot and Marsh are part of Breaking Wave Group, a new UK music company created as a boutique alternative to the traditional major-label model. BWG describes its approach as bringing creative legacy and commercial expertise together while giving artists and music rights the individual attention that can become difficult within companies managing enormous global rosters. DECADES AT THE TOP OF THE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC BUSINESS Jeremy Marsh, Chief Operating Officer of Breaking Wave Group, has held senior leadership positions including Managing Director and President at companies such as Virgin, RCA, BMG and Warner Music Group. He was involved in teams that launched and developed the careers of artists including Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Soul II Soul, Maxi Priest, Take That, Annie Lennox, M People and Neneh Cherry. Marsh spent the last 15 years of his major-label career at Warner, where his positions included Vice Chairman, EVP International and Global Chief Marketing Officer. Marc Marot, Chief Creative Officer of Breaking Wave Group, brings …
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Gallo at 100: A Century of South African Music Meets the Future at MEX26
Cape Town: For the first time, Music Exchange (MEX) will welcome three key figures from the Gallo/Music Arena ecosystem to Cape Town for #MEX26 on Saturday, 31 October 2026, bringing a remarkable century of recorded-music history into conversation with the rapidly changing digital economy. Antos Stella, CEO of The Music Arena; Kwelagobe “Kwela” Sekele of Gallo Music; and Gabisile Shabangu, General Manager of Content Connect Africa (CCA) will participate in two sessions: 1 ) Gallo 100 From 1926 to 2026: The Recording Business Across the Century https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zmiRiBCgoIPziG9trACXK?si=CNmEPtzWS9iSSmL9kUzcLA&utm_source=native-share-menu&pi=jYmfyaUxRuiR- 2 ) MAD From Streaming to Sampling The timing could hardly be more significant. Founded by Eric Gallo in Johannesburg in 1926, Gallo grew from a small record business into one of the defining institutions of South African recorded music. Its catalogue has embraced generations of artists including Solomon Linda,Harari, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela,Sipho" Hotstix" Mabuse and Lucky Dube, Stimela across jazz, marabi, mbaqanga, maskandi, reggae, gospel, pop, house and kwaito. In 2026, Gallo celebrates its centenary and is described by Music In Africa as Africa's oldest surviving recording company. At MEX26, however, this will not simply be a history lesson. Antos Stella brings more than 40 years of music-industry experience and an extraordinary connection to Gallo itself. She joined the company in 1984, later becoming Managing Director of Gallo Music International, before moving into the digital-content business. Her career has consistently connected artists, rights, technology and commercial opportunity. Kwelagobe “Kwela” Sekele brings the perspective of artist, curator, music supervisor and strategist. Today he leads curation across Gallo's Curation, Synchronisation and Repertoire teams, working with both its legacy and contemporary catalogues and helping drive discovery in …
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Throwback Thursday When Hotstix Sang for South Africa
As the Springboks and All Blacks prepare for another pivotal chapter in rugby’s greatest rivalry, it feels like the perfect moment to look back at a day that remains very special in the life and career of Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse. The place was Soccer City in Soweto. The date was Saturday, 6 October 2012. The occasion was a Test match between the Springboks and the All Blacks — two giants of world rugby. And standing on that enormous stage, in front of a capacity crowd, was one of Soweto’s own: Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse. For an artist who had already spent more than four decades making music, performing around the world and creating songs that had become part of the South African soundtrack, remarkably, this was another first. In the build-up to the Test, Hotstix announced that he had never before sung the South African National Anthem. He was about to do so at Soccer City before South Africa faced the then world champion All Blacks. “In over 45 years in the music business, I have never sung the South African National Anthem — I can’t wait!” What followed became a wonderful piece of Hotstix history. And thanks to the original FINAL event run sheet from that day, we have an extraordinary record of exactly how the occasion unfolded. The document lists South Africa vs New Zealand at Soccer City on 6 October 2012, with kick-off at 17:00. THE FINAL MINUTES BEFORE KICK-OFF TIME OFFICIAL RUN ORDER 16:41–16:42 MC thanks Jay and introduces Sipho Hotstix Mabuse from the side of the pitch. 16:42–16:47 Sipho Hotstix Mabuse performs with hip-hop and contemporary dancers. 16:53 The All Blacks run out and take their position on the field. 16:54 The Springboks run out and take their position on the field. 16:55 MC asks everyone in Soccer City to stand for the anthems. 16:55–16:57 New Zealand anthem. 16:57–16:59 South African anthem performed by “Sipho Hotstix Mabuse” — official duration 1:50. 16:59 Players …
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Luna Paige Joins Martin Myers on CapeTalk Ahead of New Album
LUNA PAIGE JOINS MARTIN MYERS ON CAPETALK AHEAD OF NEW ALBUM Cape Town singer-songwriter and storyteller Luna Paige joins Martin Myers on The Business of Entertainment on CapeTalk this Thursday night from 9pm, for a conversation about creativity, longevity and building a meaningful career in music. Paige is a multi-faceted, socially engaged artist whose work moves comfortably between music, storytelling, theatre, literature and community engagement. Her career spans more than two decades, with seven albums and numerous singles, alongside performances and collaborations in South Africa and the Netherlands. Her acclaimed Korreltjie Kantel project was nominated for a SAMA in 2018, while more recent projects include Coming Home, Oceanic Heart and Droomland. In 2025 she also introduced The Luna Paige Trio, an all-female band. The timing of the CapeTalk conversation is particularly exciting as Paige prepares to release her new album, Die Reisigers, on 4 September 2026. The album continues a creative journey that has seen her consistently explore the meeting point between songs, stories and lived experience. Tune in to CapeTalk from 9pm this Thursday as Martin Myers talks to Luna Paige about her career, the business behind the music and the road towards Die Reisigers. Boilerplate and Editor's Notes. More Info on LUNA PAIGE JOINS MARTIN MYERS ON CAPETALK AHEAD OF NEW ALBUM here: Twitter: https://x.com/TripleMEntSA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TripleMentSa CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
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Jamie Wall Returns to Cape Talk as the Greatest Rivalry Tour Comes to South Africa
One of New Zealand's most respected rugby journalists, Jamie Wall, returns to Cape Talk's The Business of Entertainment with Martin Myers on Thursday, 6 August, at 9pm as South Africa and New Zealand prepare to renew what many regard as the greatest rivalry in world rugby. Wall who is travelling with the All Blacks as part of the New Zealand media contingent covering The Greatest Rivalry Tour, the latest chapter in one of international sport's most iconic contests between the Springboks and the All Blacks. This marks Wall's second appearance on the show, having first joined Martin Myers in September 2024 ahead of the unforgettable Test match in Cape Town, where the Springboks defeated the All Blacks 18-12 in front of a capacity crowd at DHL Stadium. With The Greatest Rivalry Tour starting on Friday , Myers and Wall will discuss the significance of the tour, the storylines emerging from the All Blacks camp, the opening weekend of action, including Friday night's DHL Stormers fixture, and why the rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand continues to captivate rugby fans across the globe. Jamie Wall has established himself as one of New Zealand's leading rugby voices. Based in Auckland, he has covered rugby and rugby league for more than a decade and has travelled internationally with the All Blacks since 2017. His career includes reporting from the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, becoming a respected television sports pundit, and publishing four rugby books, including the bestselling Brothers in Black. Known for his insightful analysis and balanced perspective, Wall brings a unique New Zealand perspective to one of rugby's greatest contests, offering listeners an insider's view from within the travelling All Blacks media contingent. Don't miss this special edition of The Business of Entertainment with Martin Myers, airing on CapeTalk on Thursday, 6 August, from 9:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with a rebroadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm. Whether you're a Springbok …