South Africa has spoken. And 2025 officially belongs to homegrown music. Spotify’s Wrapped results reveal a seismic shift in the country’s listening habits, with local artists dominating the platform like never before.
South Africans streamed more than 1.3 billion hours of music this year. And for the first time, 70% of the top 10 most-streamed artists are proudly local.
Just a year ago, international stars held most of the top spots. But 2025 marked a cultural turning point as Mzansi listeners rallied behind the sounds that reflect their own streets, stories, and spirit. The top 10 most-streamed artists racked up nearly 1.5 billion streams, up from 1.1 billion in 2024.
Amapiano continue dominance
Spotify’s new Listening Age insights also paint a fascinating picture with the average South African listener aged 31. And the nation is consuming more than just music. Video podcast streaming grew 48% year-on-year, showing a rising appetite for long-form content.
Amapiano continues its iron grip on South Africa’s soundscape.
“Private School” amapiano pioneer Kelvin Momo sits in the top three most-streamed artists, pulling in over 71 million streams this year. His albums Ntsako and Thato Ya Modimo both cracked the top 10 most-streamed albums. This while 153 million of his streams came from mobile listening alone.
Just ahead are the unstoppable Scorpion Kings, with Kabza De Small approaching 200 million streams. DJ Maphorisa is sitting close behind with 155 million. This is fuelled by the massive momentum of tracks like Abantwana Bakho.
Local artists climb to the top
The most-streamed song of 2025? CIZA’s smash hit Isaka, which set dance floors alight across the country. It was followed by Vuma Dlozi by Issa Sisdoh and Vuka by Oscar Mbo.
Mlindo the Vocalist’s enduring 2018 favourite Emakhaya climbed from #10 last year to #7 in 2025. It earned nearly 32 million streams. Gospel fans also showed up strong. Nontokozo Mkhize’s Lindiwe become the only gospel album in the top 10, pulling over 28 million streams.
And Kelvin Momo’s dominance continues. His albums Ntsako and Thato Ya Modimo together earned more than 76 million streams, reaffirming the deep trust fans have in his craft.
Global superstar Tyla led the charge, becoming one of the most-exported South African artists. She landed seven solo tracks in the top 10 most-exported songs from SA. And she continues to shine as one of Spotify’s biggest success stories.
Since her rise as an EQUAL and RADAR Africa ambassador in 2023, Tyla has been streamed in 187 countries. She is amassing nearly 1.5 billion streams on EQUAL’s Top 100 and close to 1.4 billion on RADAR’s Top 100.
Reshaping global music culture
Veterans like DJ Black Coffee also continued to introduce global audiences to South Africa’s sonic identity.
With more than 700 million people worldwide using Spotify, Mzansi’s music is no longer confined to local lounges and taxi ranks, it’s shaping playlists across the globe.
“Spotify remains committed to spotlighting the artists and scenes that are reshaping culture. From Amapiano dance floors in Johannesburg to playlists in cities across the world,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music in Sub-Saharan Africa.
