SOUTH African soccer legend Steve "Kalamazoo" Mokone is happy to be alive after surviving the earthquake in the US on Tuesday night.

"I survived the earthquake but what an experience.

"This is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life," said Mokone, who received the Lifetime Achievement award at the SA Sports Awards on Sunday.

"I was on the 12th floor of a medical building when the whole building began to swing back and forth. No one knew what was happening.

"Phones went dead because the phone towers had been damaged by the quake. Elevators were not working. I had to walk from the 12th floor to get out of the building.

"On each floor, folk were coming out storming to the elevators to get out. We only found out later that it had been an earthquake.

"It was the first time that we had an earthquake here and I hope we never get one again," said Mokone.

Mokone is the first black player to play in a professional European league. He was nicknamed The Black Meteor and Kalamazoo.

He also has a street named after him in Holland.