National Orders musicians were prominently featured as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa honoured 36 recipients in Pretoria on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Ramaphosa conferred the Order of Ikhamanga, Order of Baobab, Order of Luthuli, Order of Mapungubwe and Order of the Companions of OR Tambo. He said the honourees had lifted South Africa’s image and dignity.
The Order of Ikhamanga recognises excellence in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport. This year’s music recipients included record producer Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa and jazz musician Jonathan Butler.
Wouter Kellerman also appeared among the notable arts honourees. The Grammy-winning flautist joined a ceremony that placed clear emphasis on South African music and culture.
Sport also featured in the Order of Ikhamanga. Johan “Rassie” Erasmus received gold for rugby leadership after guiding the Springboks to repeated Rugby World Cup titles.
The Order of Mapungubwe honoured scientific achievement. Professor Tulio de Oliveira received recognition for work linked to the Omicron variant, while Professor Salim Abdool Karim was honoured for HIV/Aids and tuberculosis research.
Ramaphosa said the achievements showed South Africa’s growing standing in medical and scientific best practice. He also praised recipients across culture, sport, education, medicine and human rights.
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The Order of Luthuli included posthumous honours for Jack Simons and Ray Alexander Simons. Both were recognised for their roles in the anti-apartheid struggle and community building.
Foreign nationals received the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo. Recipients included Teresa Hillary Clarke, Pierre Magnee, Antonio da Silva Gomes Cordeiro, Professor Cherif Keita and Naomi Kleinfeld.
President Cyril Ramaphosa conferred South Africa’s National Orders in Pretoria, with musicians prominent among this year’s honourees.
