South African music is continuing to make waves worldwide, with local artists raking in more than R504 million on Spotify in 2025 alone. The streaming platform shared the milestone as it unveiled its annual Loud & Clear report, unveiling the numbers at its new Rosebank headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
In the latest findings, Spotify says payouts to South African creators on the service rose by 28% year over year, and are now close to doubling compared with 2023. The report points to a steady expansion of global appetite for homegrown sounds—especially amapiano, Afro-pop and hip hop—genres that are increasingly finding new fans across international markets.
Spotify also highlighted a shift in who is benefiting most from that momentum. Independent artists and labels, it said, are taking a bigger slice of the industry’s success than in previous years. More than half of the royalties generated by South African musicians on the platform last year came from independent creators, signalling a move away from the long-standing dominance of traditional label structures.
The report further underscored how far beyond South Africa’s borders local music is travelling. Nearly 74% of the royalties earned by South African artists originated from international listeners, a clear indicator that the country’s sound is resonating globally.
Spotify’s update also marked a major discovery milestone: South African artists were picked up by first-time listeners on the platform more than 1.6 billion times in 2025, representing a 40% increase from the year before. Alongside that growth, around 3,550 South African artists were featured on Spotify’s editorial playlists during the year.
Back at home, local support remained strong as well. South African musicians accounted for 67% of the tracks included on Spotify South Africa’s Daily Top 50 playlist, showing that domestic listeners continue to champion homegrown talent even as international audiences expand.
Spotify’s Loud & Clear report also pointed to growing momentum for women in music. It revealed that streams for South African female artists increased by 22% in South Africa and by 20% internationally when compared with the previous year.
Music performed in isiZulu saw standout progress too. Global royalties connected to isiZulu tracks grew by 37% over the past year, and surged by more than 120% across the last two years, reinforcing the rising international reach of South Africa’s diverse languages and sounds.
Speaking at the event, Spotify’s Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy praised South African artists for building a powerful creative presence around the world. She said their breakthroughs are being fuelled by worldwide demand, adding that independent and local talent alike are being discovered by billions of listeners and making a major impact on the international stage.
Solly Malatsi, who was unable to attend, shared a statement offering praise to Spotify for recognising South Africa as a crucial creative hub across the continent. He also urged the company to do more to support African languages, improve transparency, and invest further in skills development throughout the music industry.
During a panel discussion, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, responded to the call for deeper investment by saying, “This is a challenge we accept as Spotify.”
Spotify concluded by noting that African music has become a major cultural force globally, with cities such as Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra and Nairobi helping shape worldwide music trends in real time.
