SA Artists Top Spotify South Africa Charts

Spotify’s Wrapped 2025 results are in and South Africa has made it clear that this was the year of local heroes. It is affirmed by the over 1.3 billion hours netizens spent streaming music on Spotify in 2025 alone, and by 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 flipped the script. 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 keeps the crown

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, with Kabza De Small clocking nearly 200 million streams, followed by DJ Maphorisa, whose Abantwana Bakho-fueled presence helped push him to nearly 155 million streams.

The most-streamed song of 2025 in South Africa, “Isaka” by CIZA, powered dance floors, parties, and playlists across the country, 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, showcasing 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, climbing from #10 in 2024 to #7 in 2025 and pulling 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, earning 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.

From South Africa to the world

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.

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.

The current top artists include a diverse mix of international and South African talent. Drake leads the list at number one, followed by Kabza De Small and Kelvin Momo, who continue to dominate the local music landscape. DJ Maphorisa secures the fourth position, while Chris Brown appears at number five. JAZZWRLD takes the sixth spot, with Thukuthela following at number seven. Sjava holds the eighth position, Kendrick Lamar is placed ninth and Zee Nxumalo completes the list at number ten.

The top songs feature a mix of local hits and collaborations. Leading the chart at number one is CIZA with “Isaka (6am),” followed by Issa Sisdoh’s “Vuma Dlozi Lami,” which features Ancestral Rituals. Oscar Mbo’s “Vuka,” featuring Thukuthela, takes the third spot, while JAZZWRLD’s “Uzizwa Kanjan” is fourth. DJ Maphorisa secures the fifth position with “Abantwana Bakho,” featuring Thatohatsi, Young Stunna and Nkosazana Daughter. MaWhoo’s “Bengicela,” featuring JAZZWRLD, comes in at number six, followed by Dlala Thukzin’s “Mali” at seventh. Zee Nxumalo’s “Ngisakuthanda” is eighth, Umafikizolo’s “Uyoncengwa Unyoko” takes ninth, and Shandesh rounds out the top ten with “Sdudla or Slender.”

The top albums for the period highlight a mix of local and international releases. Leading the chart is MENZI MUSIC with Sizesiguge, followed by Kelvin Momo’s Ntsako in second place. Kabza De Small’s Bab’Motha holds the third spot, while PARTYNEXTDOOR’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U is fourth. Kelvin Momo appears again at number five with Thato Ya Modimo. SZA’s SOS Deluxe: LANA takes the sixth position, followed by Mlindo The Vocalist’s Emakhaya at seventh. DJ Maphorisa’s NGOMOYA is eighth, Chris Brown’s 11:11 ranks ninth, and Nontokozo Mkhize’s Lindiwe completes the top ten.

The most exported songs are dominated by Tyla, who leads with PUSH 2 START at number one, followed by Water in the second position. WizTheMc’s Show Me Love, a collaboration with Tyla, ranks third, while Jazzy’s No Bad Vibes takes the fourth spot. Tyla continues to feature prominently with Truth or Dare at number five and Jump in sixth place, reflecting her strong international reach and popularity.