In just a few hours, MTV Base will be hosting the first ever “Hottest Newcomers” roundtable feature. The music channel has put together a panel of industry specialists who will be debating which of South Africa’s newest artists deserve to make it on the board and who they think Mzansi should watch out for over the next year.

ZAlebs caught up with MTV VJ  Sandile GQ, who will be hosting this year’s first roundtable feature and it’s fair to say he is excited about today’s episode. We spoke about his feelings on some of the music, his fellow panelists and how he felt about presenting the feature.

Sandile, welcome back to ZAlebs. We last spoke in 2014, how has life been with the MTV family since then?

The family is good, we are growing and it’s the kind of family you can bond with and they are amazing.

What did you think when the roundtable feature was first proposed to you?

I was actually excited when the idea was first proposed to me. I feel like no other platform in the country is doing anything like this, giving young artists the opportunity to shine.

What do you think of the artists who are going to be mentioned today? The new kids on the block.

We’ve had a very interesting year when it comes to our music scene. New artists have received platinum status, others have won competitions and others still came up with a new sound. Looking at the list, and the artists we looked at I was glad that we really gave these new guys the right kind of spotlight.

#BaseHottestNewcomers2016 airs Today @17.00 on #MTVBase @DSTV Channel 322 TUNEIN >>> https://t.co/tGr0yCM1iphttps://t.co/O4Pl8P0oSV

— MTV Base Africa (@MTVbaseAfrica) February 5, 2016

How will this be different from the Hottest MCs roundtable which we have seen over the past two years?

One of the biggest differences is definitely the fact that hottest newcomers is across every genre, it’s not just specific to hip hop. MTV is showing how diverse the music in South Africa is. We are really flexing our music knowledge.

What did you think of getting to present along this year’s panel?

I was a little nervous, I admit, but it worked out really well! The panel knew what they were talking about and it was a great experience. I think the country is really going to love this!

Make sure to tune in to MTV Base, channel 322 at 5PM today to watch the MTV Roundtable: Hottest Newcomers. If you miss it, it will be repeating at 10PM this evening and several times over the weekend.