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Chances are you've seen Nick Hamman's scroll-stopping reels and snapshots! Whether he is sharing his latest Hammy Eats endeavour to spotlight small businesses doing the most to hero authentic South African cuisine, or walking through bustling vintage markets in neighbourhoods far off the popular tourist-beaten paths.
For this broadcaster, storyteller and Time Out South Africa Culture Connector, being named the 2026 Forty Under 40 winner in the Media (Digital and Social) category is well-deserved!
From helping save a Soweto burger joint to eating his way through some unique food experiences, Nick is forging an incredible legacy (and a delicious one at that) by turning local stories about everyday South Africans into viral must-experience trends.
"It’s still sinking in, and I’m overwhelmed and deeply honoured," Nick told Time Out.
"It’s easy to pretend that awards don’t matter, but this one really feels special to me. To be recognised at something as prestigious as the Forty Under 40 Awards and to join a global community of such incredible people feels like the culmination of a career’s worth of work."
But he acknowledges that the recognition is fueling the purpose behind his platform and what he basically lives, eats and breathes daily, "My hope is to keep playing my part in building the future our country deserves."
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Amplifying our Culture Connection
Having joined Time Out South Africa as a Culture Connector in May this year, the title was deliberate, as Nick's work has certainly amplified that purpose to a greater extent.
It aligns neatly with Time Out's own mission of showcasing the best of the city, while giving the individuals creating these experiences a bigger platform, to hopefully make a tangible difference.
Remember And Fries?
When a driver crashed into the Mofolo South premises of Soweto burger business And Fries, owner Lwazi Madonsela and his team were left facing extensive damage and an uncertain future. Nick didn't simply tell people where to find a good burger. He told the story of the people who were really affected by this situation. Then he rallied South Africans to do what they do best: turning an extremely difficult situation into something remarkable.
And they did. In just a couple of weeks, we were able to share an update that And Fries was officially back in business.
It's the stuff of goosebumps and what we believe is the Culture Connector concept in action. Discovery becomes storytelling, storytelling creates attention and attention can turn into feet through the door of a local business.
Look beyond the obvious
That same instinct runs through Nick's other work. When Johannesburg was named one of the world's best cities for street food, it was an opportunity to celebrate our unique delicacies like mogodu, morogo, chakalaka, and vetkoek, made by independent traders who set the benchmark for this city's real food culture.
In Cape Town, Nick has shared why a Langa food tour should be on everybody's radar. This is more than shisanyama. He's made it an invitation into a bigger story of Xhosa culture and the history of the city's oldest township.
Bold moves to bring about change
While awards of this nature can be evaluated at face value for their emphasis on digital reach, Nick's storytelling is firmly rooted in the stories of the small, often surprising and amazing efforts of everyday locals.
At Time Out, we see that as invaluable and part of our mission to connect our audiences with places and people they might otherwise miss.
From a hole-in-the-wall spot for dumplings, to where you'll find your next burger, these stories might start as a recommendation, yet they can turn into something much more meaningful, like homegrown food culture getting its flowers or a corner of the city being seen in an entirely different, more approachable lens.
Well done, Nick! This is the best kind of impact, worth celebrating.
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