Balcony Mix reignites familiar debate

Africa’s return to Namibia has reignited a familiar debate about the support Namibians give to local artists, with industry players questioning why international acts often draw bigger crowds and command greater spending than home-grown talent.The event, held at Wanderers Stadium on 17 October, proved successful for the second time, with tickets selling out ahead of the show and general-access tickets reportedly fetching up to N$800 at the gate on the day. Despite the steep price tag, music lovers turned out in numbers for the experience.Heavy rain in the mid-afternoon and light showers later in the day did little to dampen the atmosphere. Dressed in their festival best, attendees braved the weather for a day of music, drinks and light meals, with a packed line-up featuring headliners Major League DJz alongside DJ Maphorisa, Sun-El Musician, Oscar Mbo and Virgo Deep.While the event also featured local DJs DJ Kandy, DJ Dreas and DJ Erro, its success prompted a wave of reactions from Namibian creatives on social media. Musician Bertholdt Mbinda sparked the conversation after taking to social media to express frustration over what he sees as limited opportunities and support for Namibian musicians.In an interview with Desert FM, Mbinda clarified that his concerns were not directed at Balcony Mix itself but at the disparity in support for local and international artists. He argued that Namibian audiences would be less willing to spend the same amount of money or make the same effort to attend events featuring local performers. “Within South Africa, you will not have a Namibian line-up,” he said, challenging event organisers to adopt a more balanced approach when booking talent.Mbinda proposed that event line-ups comprise at least 50% local artists, with the remainder featuring performers from elsewhere. He believes this would create a more equitable playing field, giving Namibian musicians greater opportunities to perform alongside international acts while allowing audiences to appreciate talent from both markets.Beyond performance opportunities, he also raised concerns about the financial implications of relying heavily on international acts. “A lot of money leaves the country instead of staying in the country. More money in terms of royalties leaves the country. We get peanuts,” he said.Event promoter and talent manager Carlito offered a different perspective, arguing that while the challenges facing local musicians are real, artists must also take greater responsibility for building their careers and audiences.In an exclusive interview with tjil, Carlito said Namibian musicians have a long way to go and must be willing to go the extra mile to market themselves and their music. He argued that audiences are more likely to support artists who remain relevant and consistently invest in their craft. His advice to musicians was to release music regularly, invest in quality music videos, and put on their own shows to lure audience attention. However, he acknowledged that structural challenges continue to limit the industry's growth. He pointed to the absence of a union to represent Namibian artists' interests and the limited income many musicians receive from royalties.“We are all paying each other,” he said, describing an industry in which money often circulates among the same people rather than generating meaningful new income. Carlito explained that bookings remain a primary source of income for many musicians. When artists struggle to secure performances, their earning potential suffers, fuelling frustration about the opportunities available to them. Create local appetiteFor stylist and entertainment commentator Nahenda Matheus, the issue is more complex than simply accusing Namibians of failing to support their own.Matheus argued that the sounds of many local musicians are often influenced by artists from other countries, which can lead audiences to gravitate towards the original artists and markets that popularised those sounds.She believes the media, particularly radio, has a significant role to play in shaping listening habits and influencing the music audiences consume.“Radios should play 80% Namibian music. The 60% is not working. We need to force Namibian music and sounds onto the Namibian audience,” she said. Matheus argued that audiences can be influenced by consistent exposure and that the industry needs to develop deliberate strategies to encourage greater consumption of local music.“An audience can be easily manipulated, and we just need to find strategies to make them adapt,” she said. “Namibians are looking outside the country for culture. South Africa for amapiano and Nigeria for Afrobeats, and we need to win them back.”She also pointed to the success of established platforms that have built loyal audiences by understanding their markets and consistently delivering experiences that appeal to them. “They have a formula that works, and they just replicate it. They know how to sell to their market and how to attract them. They found their community,” she said.Matheus noted that audiences for genres such as Oviritje and Ma//Gaisa regularly turn out to support their preferred artists, demonstrating that local music can command strong public loyalty. However, she called for a more holistic approach that encourages audiences across different genres to support Namibian talent, rather than limiting that support to particular musical communities.Collaboration and cultural exchangeThe debate comes less than a week after musician Tate Buti called on local artists to spend more time creating music, pointing to the dominance of amapiano across the region.“I have been travelling this whole time and everywhere you go, it's just amapiano. Wish, its painful. Guys, let's go in the studio and record,” he said.His remarks underscore the need for Namibian artists to remain productive, develop their sound and create music that can compete for attention in an increasingly interconnected regional market. Balcony Mix Africa, meanwhile, has signalled an interest in collaboration and cultural exchange between Namibia and South Africa. This was reinforced by the announcement of a remix of Ms Gideon’s Tiki-Tak, which the organisers had been teasing before the event and played during the show. The collaboration offers a glimpse of what cross-border partnerships could mean for Namibian artists, including increased exposure, access to new audiences and opportunities to participate in a wider regional music economy.

Balcony Mix reignites familiar debate

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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Balcony Mix reignites familiar debate

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-23

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