Youngsters from Portchester Community School in Fareham and Brookfield Community School in Sarisbury Green were off to visit London today to perform at the South African High Commission.
And they want to take their show on the road to make friends in South Africa itself.
The youngsters put together the Panjazz band in a bid to form friendship links between the two countries.
Peter Beadell, music teacher at Portchester School and the band's conductor, said: 'We are aiming to bridge gaps between communities – between the two schools and in South Africa. We want to use music as a language to build relationships.'
The schools visited the Concorde Club in Eastleigh in January to perform for local business people in a bid to raise funds to get them to South Africa.
The ambitious musicians invited South African High Commissioner Lindiwe Mabuza to attend the concert – and to their amazement she came. The High Commissioner was so impressed with their performance that she offered to host them at today's event.
Laura Chapell, 15, plays double tenor and the African marimba in the band. She said: 'This is so exciting and a great experience to have as a child. I am so pleased to be involved.'
The Portchester pupil said: 'It all went really well in January – it was nice to have adults asking us questions for a change.'
More recently the bands filled the Ferneham Hall in Fareham for our concert reviewed in our blogs section.
The pupils are now set to go out to South Africa next month with instruments to teach music in schools that don't have the subject on the curriculum and play at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
The music group fly out on March 13 and will play 10 performances before returning on March 31.
Laura added: 'I can't wait to go to South Africa – my parents think I'll come back a changed person.'
Frank Heather, 13, of Portchester School, who plays trumpet, said: 'Playing at the Concorde Club was great. It is good that our school and Brookfield are linked to South African music now.'
The Panjazz band have a dream that their steel and jazz bands will play a part in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and bring over musicians to play at the Olympics in London in 2012.
James Miles, 15, also of Portchester School, who plays drums in the band, said: 'I am so happy and excited about all of the opportunities this band has given me.'