It has been a decade since the foot-tapping beats and vibrant culture of Amapiano became one of Africa’s most popular music genres. In recent years, it has been the toast of the global music scene as well, as African artists continue to release hits that dominate the charts worldwide.
And 2024 has set the record straight for the rising popularity of the genre.
On streaming site, Spotify, Nigerian artist David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and South African artist Musa Makamu (Musa Keys), hit the number one spot for Unavailable, the most-streamed song this year. The Amapiano number garnered over 183 million streams on Spotify and over 123 million views on YouTube.
In second place was viral favorite, Tshwala Bam, a remix by South African producers, Thato Mathobela (TitoM), Bongani Sibanyoni (Yuppe) and S.N.E (Sinenhlanhla Sibanyoni), but now featuring Nigerian Grammy award-winning artist, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy. The remix gained 50 million streams on Spotify and just over 30 million views on YouTube. It seems to have enjoyed the most success on TikTok, where, according to reports, the remix received over 1.4 billion views.
According to a report by Wallaroo Media, 60% of TikTok users are Gen Z, a generation typically defined as people born between the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2010s. In 2024, they would be between the ages of 12-27 years old. Furthermore, the Wallaroo Media report assessed that “Gen Zers are trendsetters; next year, 74 million people in the U.S. will be part of Gen Z, which will make it the largest generation of all.”
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With Africa’s bulging youth dividend, it’s easy to see how this generation has amplified Amapiano music.
“Amapiano has become one of the defining sounds of 2024, captivating global audiences with its hypnotic blend of house music, soulful melodies, and the unmistakable spirit of South Africa’s township,” Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, tells FORBES AFRICA. “Tracks like Tshwala Bam and Mnike are lighting up dancefloors worldwide, and this genre’s unstoppable rise is a testament to its prolific producers and passionate fans who keep it fresh, vibrant, and innovative.”
Okumu says that Gen-Z listeners in the U.K. alone have spent over 82 million hours streaming Amapiano, while fans in Mexico clocked 4 million hours; in Spain, it was 6 million hours, and Japan followed with more than 2 million.
“Amapiano is not just a genre; it’s South Africa’s number one cultural export, a movement that continues to inspire and evolve,” adds Okumu.
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