The Amapiano-Afrobeats Twar: South Africa and Nigeria’s Twitter Love-Hate Relationship
It has been brewing since way before Bafana Bafana goalkeeper pulled off his shot-stopping heroics to set up the national team for a semi-final encounter with the Super Eagles. With the AFCON showdown on the way, South Ah and Naija folks have thrown away all inhibitions, engaging in banter that has since been affectionately labelled as the “Amapiano and Afrobeats Derby”, owing to the genres originating in Mzansi and Nigeria, respectively.
The Twar swung in South Africa’s favour on the 5th of February with the results of the Grammy Awards. Tyla scooped a Grammy for Best African Music Performance ahead of Nigerian stars Davido, Burna Boy, Asake and Olamide in the same category. The victory, although widely celebrated, prompted South Africans to poke fun at Nigerians, implying that the Nigerians were now officially trailing in the Afrobeats-Amapiano Derby.
The irony of the Best African Music Performance category being dominated by amapiano nominees is an element that further accentuates the nuanced nature of the netizen battle that goes on under Elon’s roof. What’s more, the tug-o’-war involving the life of piano has been subject to banter-filled contention, with South Africans expressing pride at having birthed amapiano, whilst Nigerians have been vocal about being the ones responsible for taking the genre to greater heights, perfecting it for global commercial appeal.
Watch the video below (from @EricNjiiru) of Nigerian supporters during the AFCON sharing their sentiments about the progression of amapiano music and the involvement of Nigeria as a proponent.
With the outcome at Los Angeles, Dr Musa Mthombeni took to X to celebrate Tyla’s Grammy win in terms of the rivalry between the nations. The tweet underscored the theme of the war, with South Africans emphasising amapiano supremacy over afrobeats, the metonymic word for Nigeria as a whole.
The jokes being bandied between South Africa and Nigeria have shapeshifted through the week, but the goal has been singular and focused: to assert dominance. In the video below, Nigerian content creator @_Valking posted a video of himself vibing to a piano song with a gleeful caption: “Mood after we finally take amapiano from South Africans”, mirroring the sentiments of Nigerians struggling for power against South Africans.
With the AFCON last four due for the 7th of February, all eyes will be set on Naija and Mzansi, and more fingers will be all over X, awaiting an opportune time to shoot arrows at the opposite camp. And even though it’s no-holds-barred, it’s all love and respect between two of the most digitally outspoken nations in the continent.