Legendary South African producer, DJ and music entrepreneur Oskido dedicated his SAMA32 Lifetime Achievement Award to God, his family, colleagues and the generations of artists who contributed to the Kalawa Jazmee journey, including those who never received a South African Music Award.
Oskido received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd South African Music Awards (SAMA32), held at the Sun City Superbowl on Saturday, adding another major honour to a career that has helped shape South Africa’s dance and popular music landscape.
In his acceptance speech, Oskido thanked his colleagues and family for their love, sacrifice and support, saying the recognition was not only about him but about the people who had travelled the musical journey with him.
He also paid tribute to the late Lebo Mathosa, the artists associated with Boom Shaka and the broader Kalawa Jazmee family.
Reflecting on the group’s early career, Oskido recalled wanting to enter the South African Music Awards while Boom Shaka was making its mark, but said their status as independent artists made that difficult.
“It’s about time,” Oskido said, reflecting on the recognition.
He dedicated the award to Mathosa, Thebe Lenyora and every performer who had been part of the Kalawa journey without winning an award.
For Oskido, however, the significance of the Lifetime Achievement Award extended beyond trophies.
He told artists who did not win at SAMA32 not to be discouraged, arguing that awards should not be the measure of an artist’s contribution to music.
“Awards don’t define you. Your impact does,” he said.
The message was also rooted in his own career, which has spanned decades and included work as a DJ, producer, label executive and entrepreneur. Through Kalawa Jazmee and related projects, Oskido has been associated with some of the country’s most influential dance music movements and artists.
The Lifetime Achievement honour follows his earlier recognition at SAMA30, where he received the RiSA Chairperson Award.
He said receiving the latest honour was not a conclusion to his career but the beginning of another chapter.
“For me, this is not the end, it’s just the beginning,” he said, giving glory to God and describing the honour as belonging to everyone who had been part of the journey.
Oskido also used the occasion to look ahead to his birthday celebrations on November 28, inviting those around him to continue celebrating the milestone with him.
His acceptance speech placed the SAMA32 Lifetime Achievement Award within a wider story, one not simply about an individual career, but about the artists, producers and collaborators whose work helped build South Africa’s modern music industry.
By dedicating the award to those who came before him and to artists still waiting for their own recognition, Oskido turned one of the evening’s biggest honours into a celebration of musical legacy and lasting impact.