The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), is a copyright asset management society. It was established by the South African Copyright Act,[2] and aims to protect the intellectual property of music creators by licensing music users, collecting licence fees and distributing royalties to music creators.[3] SAMRO represents more than 15,000 Southern African music composers, lyricists/authors and music publishers.[4] The organisation administers performing rights.[5]
The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (name since 1974) was formed in December 1961[6] under the chairmanship of Dr. Gideon Roos Senior,[7] a former Director-General of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).[8]
On 1 May 2013, SAMRO converted from a company limited by guarantee (a corporate form no longer supported by the Companies Act 71 of 2008[11]) to a non profit company,[12] and now operates under the name of Southern African Music Rights Organisation NPC.
In March 2014, SAMRO announced the transfer of its mechanical rights licensing operation to CAPASSO (Composers Authors and Publishers Association), as recommended by the 2012 Copyright Review Commission Report.[13][14]
From 2008[15] until at least 2020, SAMRO sponsored the Lifetime Achievement Award in Music, in the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) Awards.[16] Past winners have included Johnny Clegg and Caiphus Semenya.[17][18]
In 2013, SAMRO launched the Wawela Music Awards to pay tribute to South African composers who have made a significant contribution on the international and local music scene.[21]Mbongeni Ngema won the inaugural Recognition Award.[22] It appears that the last awards were given in 2015.[23]
SAMRO has reciprocal agreements with 225 collecting societies in 150 countries allowing it to collect music royalties on behalf of its members around the world.[25]
SAMRO is associated with industry trade fairs and music showcases such as MIDEM in France and the World Music Expo (WOMEX), as well as with bodies such as the South African Music Export Council (SAMEX).[30]
SAMRO would later become the centre of a scandal regarding the underpayment of royalties to artists, much of this taking place during this leadership's time working for the organisation. [32][33]
^"Ngema wins Lifetime Achievement Award". Facebook. Mbongeni Ngema. 22 July 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2023. ...and earlier this month he scooped a prestigious Inaugural Recognition Award at SAMRO's first Wawela Awards in Sandton.
^"Gallery". Wawela Music Awards. Retrieved 29 December 2023.