Here’s why Mzansi asked the Samas, Fill Up concert and DStv Delicious Festival to #DoBetterNextYear

As we seal off the year we can't help but look back at events that were a let down to people who had high hopes for them to go on like well-oiled machines.  

Here's a list of events and hoping they #DoBetterNextYear.

South African Music Awards (Samas)

The awards ceremony, in its 28th year, was heavily criticised for the planning, for artists not pitching for awards and many other things. 

Zakes Bantwini, who scored his first Sama win after 15 years in the music industry, shared on his Instagram timeline how disappointing the awards were.

“Regrettably the Samas have broken our trust. They have devalued the honour and prestige which the awards once stood for. There is no integrity in the way in which the show is being produced, the planning, the awarding of artists and in extending the basic courtesy of respect to the artist,” he wrote.

Recording Industry of South Africa CEO Nhlanhla Sibisi, reflecting on the 28th instalment of the Samas, said he felt an urgent need to issue a statement after the comments he received. 

“As a result, I have started direct engagements with record companies and artists, and I will be proposing a major overhaul of our structure, systems and processes in the coming weeks and will make the necessary announcements before the end of September.”

DStv Delicious Festival

Day one of the highly anticipated festival didn't not go off smoothly. The international food and music festival was held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand.

Many were stuck in traffic for 40 to 50 minutes with no visible assistance from law enforcement. Queues were simply everywhere.

Many festivalgoers shared their frustration on social media, shooting the festival to the top of the Twitter trends list with their experiences of the night. 

If the headline act was not international superstar Burna Boy, the festival would not have rated highly in my books. 

Burna Boy, who was the final act on the DStv main stage, did not come to play.

DStv Delicious issued an apology on their Twitter timeline, saying verification of tickets owing to fake ones caused a delay at entrances.

Cassper Nyovest's FillUpMmabathoStadium

The rapper made his sixth comeback with his iconic #FillUps that gave him stardom, and people recognised how much of a world class performer he is. 

This year he headed to his hometown Mmabatho to bring the town alive, however the concert did not go on without glitches.

The sound robbed some of the crowd of special moments. 

After his previous #FillUp concerts - The Dome in 2015, Orlando Stadium in 2016, FNB Stadium in 2017, Moses Mabhida Stadium in 2018 and the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in 2019 - were hits, he set a tone and standard  nobody could beat in the country.

Do we judge him harshly because it's his sixth time and therefore he should be a pro at this? Or were the other forces at play that made it difficult for it to be a success like the others? Or maybe we shouldn't compare at all?  You be the judge of that. 

As someone who was born and bred in North West I know what this meant for the people of Mahikeng. Being the home of the Motswako rappers, it was the province's time to shine, and rightfully so, but we can't ignore the glitches. #DoBetterNextYear Cass. Otherwise Spirit.