Amapiano is a force to be reckoned with on the global music stage, and this is thanks to its influence on popular culture. Spotify provides a home for Amapiano to grow, with 55% of the music getting played from outside South Africa, says Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa.
The heroes of the Amapiano movement are also getting deserved recognition. From Uncle Waffles being the first Amapiano DJ to perform on the Coachella main stage to singer-songwriter Tyla earning a Grammy, this distinctly South African dance music is now being adopted into mainstream culture across the world.
As the sound evolves and its thriving culture spreads globally, it's important to unravel the crucial moments that stimulate this global success and contribute to Amapiano's over 1.4 billion streams in 2023 on Spotify.
Africa embraces Amapiano Amapiano got to the rest of the world by traveling through Africa. As this township house sound came to define Johannesburg's nightlife culture, musicians all over the continent tuned in. Its journey began with West and East African artists experimenting with the sound. Some visited South Africa to work with local Amapiano acts, while others added and infused Amapiano elements to their productions.
The results of these experiments show up in our data today. Cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Lusaka, and Gaborone stream the most Amapiano outside of South Africa, says Phiona.
Ghanaian producer Juls released Soweto Blues with South Africa's Busiswa. Nigeria's Tiwa Savage gave Dangerous Love the Amapiano treatment with a remix from South African producer De Mthuda. Rema's hit single Woman brings Amapiano drums and saxophone together with kicks and percussion from Afrobeats. Wizkid's Bad To Me and 2 Sugar are songs that showcase the sonic embrace between the two genres.
Back then these songs gave more artists across the continent permission to make Amapiano their own, says Phiona. Amapiano's DBN Gogo says this is important because music can build a shared understanding across cultures when people make it their own and try to merge it with their own genres.
This is how Bongopiano emerged from Tanzania, where Swahili lyrics on hypnotic dance beats give Amapiano an East African twist. Moroccan DJ Flomine says, When you mix Amapiano with traditional Moroccan music [Gnawa], it connects people. And when you introduce live instruments, people just love it because they feel like we are exchanging culture.
Television takes Amapiano from SA to the USA The small screen enhances Amapiano's cultural currency. South African drama series like Youngins use Amapiano soundtracks to bring the rebellious and trendy energy of the high school drama to life. The show's dance scenes wouldn't work without the log drum-peppered beats, which capture the show's spirit and make it relatable to its Gen Z audience.
Amapiano also anchored Kokota, a drama set in Mamelodi, one of the Pretoria townships where the genre is said to have started out. The show follows the story of a preacher's son and his journey of becoming a musician. Its use of location, Sepitori (a form of Setswana slang), and fashion celebrate the genre by showing life from an aspiring artist's point of view.
Directors are taking advantage of the genre's international influence by telling stories about the origins of Amapiano, says Phiona. South Africa's favourite music export is also infiltrating TV shows in North America.
The Jennifer Hudson Show host and EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson got South Africa hyped when the Biko's Manna band taught her the viral Tshwala Bam dance. Who can forget Tyla's U.S. TV debut performance of Water on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? Yet another moment that cemented Amapiano as a global cultural entity.
True to its essence even when far from home Amapiano influences culture across the Atlantic thanks to events like AmaFest, an Amapiano festival for South African and British performers in the United Kingdom. Afro Nation has now made Portugal a destination for African and European Amapiano fans alike thanks to its Piano People stage.
These shows are a sign of the impact the South African sound is making on the global music scene. Their ongoing success reflects how much different cultures love the sound, even if they may not understand the lyrics. Small wonder, then, that among the top countries streaming Amapiano in the last 10 years are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, and France.
The genre's earliest artists, like MFR Souls, Kelvin Momo, and Scorpion Kings, along with its latest pioneers, DBN Gogo, Uncle Waffles, and Kamo Mphela, are headliners at these festivals, showing that Amapiano's global reach won't stop it from staying true to its roots and essential sounds.
Phiona's reminder is that it's thanks to dedicated artists that the genre's borrowed blend of diBacardi, Kwaito, and jazz are here to stay. While it influences and adapts to different regions, Amapiano will always call South Africa home.
Most recent headlines
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
Amapiano is a force to be reckoned with on the global music stage, and this is thanks to its influence on popular culture. Spotify provides a home for Amapiano to grow, with 55% of the music getting played from outside South Africa, says Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa. 
