Amapiano proves to be South Africa’s most loved genre, revealed in this year’s Spotify Wrapped 2022.
Amapiano have, again, dominated the streaming world, surpassing a billion streams in 2022 according to Spotify.
The streaming app wrapped up the year by releasing this year’s stats on most played songs, loved artists and content creators. A deep dive into the music that defined the year for users locally.
This detailed snapshot was announced on December 1st, dubbed as Audio Day, where Spotify users’ show their musical choices that tells users about the music they listened to and what that says about their music taste.
This year, Amapiano became South Africa’s hottest genre, showing that South Africans truly believe local is lekker.
The top most streamed South African artists locally in 2022 are Amapiano artists:
- Kabza De Small appears in five out of seven top music streaming lists in South Africa this year, leading the charge as the most streamed South African artist and proving that the genre known for birthing creative dance challenges, is unstoppable
- Kabza De Small is not only the most streamed South African artist, but he is also one of only two South African artists to feature in the top ten most streamed artists overall in South Africa, ranking second to Drake, and ahead of The Weeknd, who claims the number three spot
- KOA II Part 1 by Kabza De Small also tops the charts for the most streamed South African album in South Africa in 2022
- Kabza De Small is the top most streamed South African artist in South Africa followed by DJ Maphorisa, his main collaborator. The two are also well known for their Scorpion Kings projects
- AmaPiano Grooves, a playlist made up of some of the country’s hottest Amapiano tracks, unsurprisingly, is the most streamed playlist in South Africa this year
- K.O’s genre-bending track SETE, released in August, claims the title of the most streamed song in Mzansi while Paris, by Q-Mark claims the number two spot, followed by Glass Animals’ Heat Waves, and Wanitwa Mos’ Dali Nguwe and Lost Frequencies’ Where Are You Now rounding out the top five.
South Africans showed the most love to K. O’s hit track SETE. It received the most likes via the heart button. ‘Liking’ is how you tell Spotify that you’re into a particular song, album, or playlist
- Dali Nguwe by Wanitwa Mos is the number one South African song streamed globally, followed by uMlando by 9umba, Lady Du, Mdoovar, Sino Msolo, Sir Trill, Slade, TOSS, Young Stunna at number two with Paris (feat. Afriikan Papi) by Afriikan Papi, Cloud9ne, Q-Mark, TpZee rounding the top three
- The most streamed South African artist globally list is dominated by Amapiano artists, led by Kabza De Small followed by DJ Maphorisa, Young Stunna, Mellow & Sleazy, Blxckie, Nasty C, Makhadzi, Ami Faku with Joyous Celebration rounding up the list
South Africans repeatedly streamed SETE, it is the number one most repeated song in South Africa
In South Africa, Paris (feat. Afriikan Papi) by Afriikan Papi, Cloud9ne, Q-Mark, TpZee is streamed every day
South Africans love to get the party started as soon as the work week is over with many streaming the most music on Fridays and kicking the party off promptly at 5PM (the top time of day that they like to listen to music on Spotify). Local music consumption in South Africa has grown exponentially, increasing by 85% between 2021 and 2022
The wrapped 2022 also features messages from artists to their listeners, and users are able to share their Wrapped cards on different social media platforms.
“South Africans can be proud of what their creatives in music are achieving. They are making noise in the right places, and at the right time,” says Warren Bokwe, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager in South Africa.