Spotify Wrapped 2025 Reveals South Africa’s Biggest Artists, Songs and Trends

South Africans Stream Over 1.3 Billion Hours in 2025

Spotify’s Wrapped 2025 results are in! And South Africa has made one thing clear: this was the year of local heroes and it is affirmed by the over 1.3 billion hours netizens spent streaming music on Spotify, in 2025, alone. The fact that local artists now account for 70% of the 10 most streamed artists, flipping the script on previous years.

In 2024, international artists held seven of the top 10 spots on South Africa’s most-streamed artists list. In 2025, South Africans changed it up. Local artists now account for 70% of the 10 Most Streamed Artists, as fans spent the year rallying behind sounds made at home. That love translated into serious listening time: the top 10 artists in 2025 were streamed nearly 1.5 billion times, up from 1.1 billion in 2024.

Interestingly, Spotify’s new Listening Age data in this year’s Wrapped experience shows that South Africa’s average listening age sits at 31, but South Africans did not just listen; we heavily consumed video podcasts, seeing a 48% YoY growth.

Amapiano Continues Its Reign as South Africa’s Top Genre

Amapiano remains the heartbeat of South Africa’s listening culture. Sitting confidently in the top three is ‘Private School’ Amapiano DJ, producer and songwriter Kelvin Momo, who racked up more than 71 million streams on Spotify in 2025. He cemented his status even further with two albums,  Ntsako and Thato Ya Modimo, landing in the top 10 most-streamed albums. Spotify data further reveals that nearly 153 million of Momo’s streams this year came from mobile consumption, while desktop and TV consumption accounted for about 15 million streams.

Close behind are the iconic Scorpion Kings.  Kabza De Small clocked nearly 200 million streams, followed by DJ Maphorisa, whose Abantwana Bakho-fueled presence helped push him to nearly 155 million streams.

Top Songs of 2025: “Isaka” Leads the Nation

The most-streamed song of 2025 in South Africa is “Isaka” by CIZA. It powered dance floors, parties, and playlists across the country. It’s followed by “Vuma Dlozi” by Issa sisdoh and “Vuka” by Oscar Mbo.

Across individual tracks, South Africans moved fluidly between Amapiano, Lekompo, and a mix of other local styles. It showcased how wide and rich the country’s homegrown music palette really is.

Albums with staying power

The albums chart tells its own story about how South Africans build long-term relationships with music.

Mlindo the Vocalist‘s 2018 classic Emakhaya is still very much alive in listeners’ rotations. It climbed from #10 in 2024 to #7 in 2025. Not only that but it also pulled in nearly 32 million streams this year alone.

In the gospel space, Nontokozo Mkhize‘s Lindiwe stands tall as the only gospel album in the top 10, drawing more than 28 million streams and underscoring the genre’s emotional and cultural resonance.

And then there’s Kelvin Momo once again: his projects Ntsako and Thato Ya Modimo together surpassed 76 million streams in 2025. They earned the #2 and #5 spots on the most-streamed albums list and signalling deep trust from fans who return to his albums again and again.

South African Artists Break Global Barriers

2025 wasn’t just big for local listening, it was a breakthrough year for South African artists on the global stage.

Acts like Tyla and Black Coffee were among the most-exported South African artists, reaching audiences far beyond the country’s borders. Tyla, in particular, led the way, landing seven solo tracks in the top 10 most-exported songs from South Africa. Since her announcement as an EQUAL ambassador in March 2023, Tyla has been streamed in over 187 countries, boasting nearly 1.5 billion combined streams on the platform’s Top 100 EQUAL artists list. Also announced as the RADAR Africa artist for 2023 in the same month, the global star has neared 1.4 billion streams in 187 countries on the platform’s Top 100 RADAR artists list.

South Africa’s Soundtrack Goes Global

With more than 700 million listeners worldwide turning to Spotify to soundtrack their lives, South Africa’s local sounds are no longer just local – they’re part of the global conversation.

“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,” says Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa.