South African media personality and businesswoman Bonang Matheba is on track to receive the Trailblazer Award at the Basadi in Music Awards.
The award ceremony is scheduled for 8 August at the Joburg Theatre.
Matheba has been in the media industry for over 23 years, having gotten her start on Manhattan’s Fantasy Challenge at age 15.
In addition to her stints in radio, namely YFM and Metro FM, she has extensive experience on television. She has been a presenter on Tswelopele Productions’ Top Billing and has left her mark on many major events, including the Miss South Africa pageant, the MTV EMAs, and Global Citizen.
International doors are wide open for 38-year-old Matheba, especially after she won major praise for her hosting skills at Miss Cosmo 2025 Grand Finale & Beauty Music Festival in Vietnam.
Matheba’s fashion footprint has also made her a darling, not only to her fans but to designers as well. She is known for her opulent gowns and daring style.
“Some people succeed within an industry. Bonang Matheba transformed it. She showed an entire generation of African women that it is possible to dream without limits, occupy spaces once thought unattainable and build a globally respected brand while remaining unapologetically African,” said Basadi in Music Awards (BIMAs) founder and CEO Hloni Modise Matau.
“The Trailblazer Award is reserved for individuals whose impact changes the course of an industry. Bonang has done exactly that. She has inspired women to own their voices, recognise their value and understand that success is something you intentionally create,” she added, according to Music in Africa.
Bonang Matheba, the business mogul
Matheba has not only perfected her craft in media, but is making strides in business too.
Her most notable business is House of BNG, her flagship luxury beverage brand, with its Brut and Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classiques (MCCs), and Prestige Reserve MCC.
BNG Beauty is an extension of the House of BNG.
She owns her own management and production company, Bonang Matheba Entertainment, which handles her media, television, and global production work.