South African Music Awards (SAMA31) to Honour the Late Solly Moholo with Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award
Image: The Late Solly Moholo (Supplied)
03 December 2025
Johannesburg, South Africa - The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) is deeply honoured to announce that the late Solomon Majafela Molokoane, better known as Solly Moholo, will be posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAMA31 hybrid event on 14 December 2025.
With an illustrious career spanning over two decades and more than 15 albums to his name, Solly Moholo enthralled audiences across the continent with his electrifying brand of mokhukhu gospel music and unforgettable dance routines that turned every performance into a joyous celebration of faith and culture.
Rising to national prominence in the early 2000s with his iconic album Ba Mmitsa Tsotsi, Solly Moholo became a towering figure in traditional South African gospel music. A proud son of Soshanguve and lifelong member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), he fused powerful spiritual messages with vibrant township rhythms, unforgettable mokhukhu dance energy, and the distinctive ZCC brass-band sound that made gospel accessible, exciting and unapologetically South African.
Video: Solly Moholo with a Brass Band (Supplied)
His legendary live performances united generations and crossed borders, touching lives from South Africa to Swaziland, Botswana and beyond. Off stage, Moholo was a passionate advocate against crime, a generous mentor to artists such as Winnie Mashaba, Makgarebe a bochabela and Bana ba Solly Moholoand and a beacon of faith-led community upliftment.
Moholo was deeply committed to the well-being and empowerment of young people, dedicating his time and energy to raising awareness about bullying, an issue he felt passionately about. He regularly visited schools, where he performed and spoke directly to learners, using his voice and presence to inspire confidence, encourage kindness, and confront bullying head-on.
Beyond this, Moholo had a special concern for children living with disabilities, whom he motivated with compassion and dignity, affirming their worth and potential. His work with young people was driven by genuine love, a strong sense of social responsibility, and an unwavering belief in the power of encouragement to change lives.
“Solly Moholo did not just perform gospel music, he lived it, breathed it, and made an entire nation dance to its truth,” said Nhlanhla Sibisi, CEO of RiSA. “He took sacred songs from the church to the streets and showed us that joy, faith and culture can coexist in the most powerful way. Even though he left us in 2024, his voice continues to uplift and inspire. This Lifetime Achievement Award is RiSA’s heartfelt tribute to a true South African music icon whose legacy will resonate for generations.”
Image: The Late Solly Moholo (Supplied)
Backed by powerhouse partners including the Motsepe Foundation, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO), YouTube, and Gauteng provincial Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and media partner SABC - SAMA31 continues to set the undisputed gold standard for recognising excellence in South African music.
The South African Music Awards remain unwavering in their mission to elevate diverse voices, champion inclusivity across all genres, and honour the rich, ever-evolving tapestry of our nation’s sound. This December, gleaming trophies will indeed be handed out, but the real triumph belongs to the artists, their extraordinary journeys, and the stories that are boldly writing South Africa’s golden era of music.
As RiSA CEO Sibisi powerfully puts it: “Less Noise. More Music - because in a country this vibrant, the music must always speak loudest.”
