The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has announced Pamela Mtanga and Vafa Naraghi as presenters for the 2026 National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA), as the Department continues its phased reveal of nominees and programme highlights ahead of the Awards at Sun City Resort on Friday, 21 August 2026.
Mbhele and Naraghi will lead an evening bringing together South African artists, cultural practitioners and industry stakeholders to recognise excellence across the country’s arts, culture and heritage sectors.
The Department has also confirmed a performance line-up featuring Zee Nxumalo, Holly Rey, Yanga Chief, Tu Nokwe, Brenden Praise and Jimmy Nevis, bringing together different generations and expressions of South African music as part of the Awards programme.
The announcement follows the first phase of nominees across Heritage, Visual Arts and Craft, with the next phase recognising nominees across Design and Performing Arts.
Design
Architecture/Interior Designer: Bridget Meier, Kathleen Helen De Villiers Soal, Sipho Phiri
Fashion/Textile Designer: David Tlale, Jacques La Grange, Olebogeng Ledimo
Graphic & Multimedia Designer: David Siyabonga Tshabalala, Rejoice Kunene, Siya Masuku
Performing Arts
Actor in Theatre: Gontse Ntshegang, Mandlenkosi Gaduka, Valentine Themba Ndaba
Comedian Performance: Dalin Gerard Oliver, Nomthandazo Rubushe, Siyabulela Seya
What's your hot take on this story?
Dance Production: Nothing Twice, Genesis:The Beginning and End of Time, From You to Me
Musician Award: Creshwell October, Sisa Benjamin Zako, Viwe Siyabonga Mkizwana
Poet Performance: Koleka Putuma, Masai Sepuru, Modise Joshua Sekgothe
Theatre Production: Breakfast with Mugabe, Verwelkingslied, The Fatherland
Winners across the Design and Performing Arts categories will be announced at the NACA 2026 Awards ceremony. Further nominees and programme announcements will follow as the phased reveal continues.
Presented under the theme “Celebrating Our Nation’s Creative Excellence,” NACA 2026 recognises the breadth of South African creative achievement while continuing to foreground talent, the business of the creative sector and nation building.
Taking place during National Women’s Month and the national commemoration of 30 Years of South Africa’s Constitution, the Awards provide a national platform to recognise the contribution of artists, creators and cultural practitioners to South Africa’s creative economy, cultural identity and social cohesion.
The NACA 2026 Awards will take place at Sun City Resort on Friday, 21 August 2026. South Africans will be able to experience the celebration nationally when the Awards are broadcast on SABC 1 on Saturday, 22 August 2026 at 20:00.
The National Arts and Culture Awards will be followed by the National Sports Awards on Sunday, 23 August 2026, completing a weekend recognising excellence across South Africa’s arts, culture and sporting sectors.
