Black Coffee calls for more support and less doubt after winning Billboard Africa's Power Player of the Year

DJ Black Coffee has added another major accolade to his collection after being named Billboard Africa's Power Player of the Year. 

The South African DJ and producer received the honour at the African Billboard Awards, which was held in held at the Peermont D’oreale Grande, Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, on Wednesday, November 19.

In his acceptance speech, he encouraged everyone to ignore negativity and back the dreams of those around them, especially children, no matter how unclear the dream may seem.

“When people are dragging you down, do not pay attention to that. Listen to your inner voice, because it’s that voice that got you to start from the beginning. 

“I want to say to everyone in this room, if you have a child who wants to pursue music, even if it’s unclear, even if you’re not sure how far it’s going to go. 

“Even if your child says they want to be an astronaut, and you think, 'How possible is that in Africa?' Support. We need to be there for each other, we need to encourage each other more,” he added.

The “Superman’ hitmaker also shared how meaningful it is to be recognised in his home country, despite spending much of his time performing internationally. 

“I see this as support from my fellow Africans, and it means a lot to me as someone who is mostly always outside the country. To see that I’m still seen as part of the music scene,” he said.

Before leaving the stage, he dedicated the award to his family, acknowledging that his family and children suffer the most from his absence. 

“My kids suffer the most from me not being there for them… and every award I get is for them,” he said. 

He also gave a nod to his girlfriend, Victoria Gonzalez, for her support along the way.

According to “Billboard Africa”, the award is part of a larger initiative to spotlight the continent’s creative leaders. Since June, “Billboard Africa” has launched as a platform celebrating African music, stories and successes shaping the global sound.

“From Lagos to London, Accra to Atlanta, African music continues to influence the world, and now it has a home that fully recognises its impact,” said "Billboard Africa".

As per the organisation, the “African Power Players Vol. 1” event brought together some of Africa’s big artists, executives and innovators driving Africa’s global sound while also revealing its roadmap for 2026.