Hammy – the man who wakes Mzansi up every morning and uses his platform to celebrate SA’s best local foodie spots – has just claimed a Forty Under 40!
South Africa (06 October 2026) – Nick Hamman has officially been named one of South Africa’s 2026 Forty Under 40 winners, taking home the honour in the Media (Digital and Social) category.
The award was presented at the national ceremony on Saturday, 3 October, recognising a career that has managed to stretch well beyond the radio studio.
Of course, plenty of South Africans know Nick as the voice behind 5 Breakfast on 5FM, where he has become part of the morning routine for listeners around the country.
Over the years, he’s also taken that microphone on the road. His annual 5 Breakfast Heritage Tour celebrated its tenth year in 2026, once again travelling across South Africa to find the people, places, food and stories that make this country what it is.
He is also the force behind Hammy Eats.
The channel began as Nick sharing his love of good food and has since become a powerful platform for independent South African businesses. Its videos now average around 30 million views a month, introducing enormous audiences to eateries they may otherwise never have found.
We’ve seen it happen! Earlier this year, Aunty Pree’s Curry Spot was inundated with customers after Nick featured the family-run business. Queues lined up outside the local business had to bring in extra hands to feed all the hungry bellies.
Nick says that is the impact that matters most to him.
“We’ve helped generate millions of rand in business for independent businesses across the country, and that impact is what means the most to me,” says Nick.
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Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for 5FM and Good Hope FM, says Nick is an “on-air and social media powerhouse with a massive heart for South Africa.”
Nick uses his platforms to celebrate Mzansi, its people and its food, and to change lives for the better. That’s a goodie if there ever was one, and a win well-deserved.
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