Musicians March on SAMRO Over Unpaid Royalties in Johannesburg CBD

Musicians and artists marched through the Johannesburg CBD to the headquarters of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation today, demanding clearer answers on royalty payments and stronger accountability after years of alleged underpayment and governance failures. The protest, led by the group Artists United , follows months of rising frustration in the industry.

Demonstrators delivered a memorandum calling for government intervention, citing earlier disruptions at SAMRO events, forensic findings of irregular payouts, and repeated complaints about poor management. SAMRO continues to insist its systems aim to ensure fair compensation for members.