Despite the fact that things are very digital these days, it’s still crucial to remember that in South African music, radio still has a key role. If your song is on the airwaves and the charts, you’re on your way to having a hit single.
Ignore the artists complaining about payola for a moment – yes, it’s an area of the industry we need to tackle at the right time – 2018 was a great year for Mzansi music and radio. This was further evidenced by a list of 2018’s most played songs on South African radio and we are incredibly proud to see the amount of local artists in the top 10.
Go and give the women a shout out please #LadyZamar 😭 pic.twitter.com/AOTrvc7kso
— SHEKHINAH (@shekhinahd) December 13, 2018
As you can see from the list above, Lady Zamar and her hit single Collide emerged as the most played song of 2018, but the top 10 is filled with local artists including Prince Kaybe, Shekhinah and Kwesta, while further reading down the list shows even more local entries.
As Shekhinah pointed out, it was also a great showing for the women of the entertainment industry who certainly had a stellar year. The ex-Idols star had two songs appearing in the top 10.
Ohhh yes you ladies are doing the most pic.twitter.com/ilqm3PXgoK
— Mrs Moncho (@phindilen02) December 13, 2018
It’s been a great year for local music and 2019 only promises even greater representation of our artists. Now, the question is: do you think this has anything to do with the 90% local rule that the SABC tried to implement two years ago, or did South African music rise to this position organically?
Main image credit: Instagram/@lady_zamar
