The highly anticipated New Year’s Eve State of Groove Address (Soga) was yet another success.

Hosted by the multi-talented hit makers and presidents of Soga, Ezra Mlotshwa and Mlindo Kev Mtsheni who were both born and bred in eMalahleni.

The Soga, hosted annually at Puma Stadium, is a fun-filled social gathering that sees the likes of international and local hitmakers grace the City of Coal for entertainment.

On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, Soga opened its doors to over 10 000 youth who came out in numbers to support local artists and the presidents.

Mlindo shared that the turnout is not something that they take for granted, “We’re truly blessed with the overall turnout,” Mlindo said.

He recalled the moments and preparations leading up to the event, “The preparations for this year’s event were both challenging and rewarding.

No matter how experienced or hard-working we are, things rarely go as planned from the moment we start strategising until the first patron enters the gate,” Mlindo remembered.

Ezra confessed that the weather was one of his biggest concerns, but with their hard-working team, they managed to overcome it.

“When I reflect on the turnout, all I can say is wow! The crowd we saw was unlike anything eMalahleni had ever experienced. To see it in real-time truly blew our minds,” Ezra said.

When asked about the significance of hosting a successful event in their hometown, Mlindo and Ezra expressed that it was very important to them.

“As the saying goes, ‘charity begins at home’. Whilst we spend a lot of time in Gauteng, learning from industry giants and attending their events, we’ve always shared the goal of bringing such high-quality events to our hometown, which is often overlooked when big brands choose to host their events elsewhere,” the presidents mentioned.

They also highlighted the important aspect of the event: creating job opportunities by promoting local DJs and helping them share the stage with South African artists.

“We managed to bring in big national acts and give them a platform to perform in our community, which is something we’re incredibly proud of. Moreover, the event creates numerous temporary jobs, both directly and indirectly, benefitting the local community. In the end, there’s no town more deserving than the one that raised the entire Soga team,” Mlindo and Ezra added.

The presidents wished to express gratitude to their sponsors and stakeholders:

“We also owe a huge thanks to our newly appointed interns, our dedicated Soga staff, and most importantly, to the people who continue to support our events, even with our shortcomings. We work hard to improve with every event, and your support means everything to us,” Ezra and Mlindo thanked.

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