Ngeke! Festival returns to Johannesburg as a new generation of South African artists says no to corruption

Ngeke! Festival returns to Johannesburg on Saturday, 7 November 2026 at The Nest, with a free evening of live music featuring Nomfundo Moh, The Brother Moves On, Xtreem Makhayeni and Fair Play South Africa 2026 winners BLVQ IRIS & The Crossroads and ZANAH. DJ Nodiggity opens and closes the night, and LERAI returns as host.

Now in its second year, the EU supported festival follows a 2025 debut that drew more than 600 people to Constitution Hill. Its rallying cry is “Say Ngeke!” In isiZulu, ngeke means “never,” and this year’s artists are saying it to corruption.

The idea is simple. Corruption isn’t only something that happens in boardrooms, tenders, and the halls of power. It happens in the “cold drink” at a roadblock, the tjotjo to skip a queue, the silence when someone looks the other way. Small actions can make a difference, shifting the behaviours that allow corruption to thrive. Ngeke! puts the fight back in ordinary hands and uses music to power the message.

“Every South African knows what a cold drink is. We’ve made it a joke because it’s easier than calling it what it is. Ngeke! is about refusing that, and doing it with a crowd behind you,” says Xtreem Makhayeni.

The Festival once again partners with Corruption Watch, a social justice anti-corruption organisation advocating for clean governance, accountability and transparency. Corruption Watch this year launched its Impepe Campaign that calls on all South Africans to blow the whistle on corruption. If you want to know more and get involved visit: https://impempe.corruptionwatch.org.za/

THE LINE-UP

Doors open at 18:00 with DJ Nodiggity.

BLVQ IRIS & The Crossroads are led by Cape Town rapper, producer and songwriter BLVQ IRIS. The collective pairs live instrumentation with hip-hop, jazz and African influences, and lyrics that move between languages and land on the issues that matter.

Xtreem Makhayeni is back after performing at the first edition. The 2025 Fair Play South Africa winner uses his music to speak plainly about the realities facing his community.

ZANAH builds her hip-hop on heritage, ancestral memory and identity, pairing contemporary production with stories of resilience and empowerment.

The Brother Moves On bring one of Johannesburg’s most distinctive live shows, a mix of music, storytelling and performance art rooted in African tradition and pushing well beyond it.

Nomfundo Moh closes the live programme. Celebrated for her emotive voice and Afro-pop sound, she draws on the storytelling of Brenda Fassie, Amanda Black and Ami Faku. Her 2020 debut single “Lilizela” went platinum and made her one of the country’s most talked-about new voices. Her 2022 debut album Amagama blends Afro-pop, R&B and traditional South African sounds and includes the hits “Umthwalo” and “Phakade Lami,” certified six times platinum.

THE NGEKE! PLEDGE

Every attendee is invited to take the Ngeke! Pledge, introduced at the first edition.

Ngeke ngithule (I won’t keep quiet). When I see corruption happening, I’m gonna call it out. I refuse to be part of the silence.

Ngeke ngikwenze (I won’t do it). No tjotjo, no cold drinks, no abusing power to get ahead.

Ngeke ngiye ngedwa (I won’t go at it alone). I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with my fellow South Africans, because together we can flip the script and build a Mzansi that works for all.

FROM THE HILL TO THE NEST

The 2025 edition marked the first time the global Fair Play initiative came to South Africa, with Zoë Modiga, BCUC, Onset Music Group and Xtreem Makhayeni performing for more than 600 people at Constitution Hill. Year two brings new winners, a returning favourite and bigger names to the same idea, a space where music and civic action meet.

“The fight against corruption is global, but it must be fought locally,” says Matt Clark, Programs & Marketing Director at JM International. “Fair Play is about amplifying young artists, letting their stories be heard and giving them a platform to unite people around a common message. Every action counts. Note by note, song by song, we can shape a better tomorrow together.”

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, 7 November 2026

Time: 18:00 to 00:00

Venue: The Nest, 39 Voorhout St, New Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2094, South Africa

Entry: Free.

Host: LERAI

ABOUT FAIR PLAY SOUTH AFRICA

Fair Play is a global music initiative that uses music to amplify young voices against corruption and injustice. Since 2010 it has reached more than 10 million people through over 400 music videos by artists from more than 90 countries. Fair Play South Africa is delivered by JM International, the European Union (EU) Delegation to South Africa, the EU-funded Enhancing Accountability Technical Assistance Facility, Transparency International, Corruption Watch and the Public Protector South Africa.

MEDIA CONTACT

info@anticorruptionmusic.org | +32 2 513 97 74

Interviews with performers and Fair Play South Africa partners are available on request.