In 2024, South African artists gained their first-time streams from over 1.1 billion listens on Spotify, marking a 55% rise compared to the previous year of 2023.
This information is disclosed in the 2025 Spotify transparency report, entitled Loud and Clear, This indicates notable development within the local music sector.
"When you tune into an artist from South Africa, the system will guide you down a path to explore more artists like them — be they well-established or rising stars," explained Phiona Okumu, who leads Spotify’s music division in Africa, at a press conference held earlier this week.
News24 deputy lifestyle editor Kaunda Selisho (on the left) and Spotify Africa’s music lead Phiona Okumu (on the right).
Photo courtesy Spotify.
Okumu informed Massima, "The driving factor behind discoveries on the app is the human aspect. AI holds immense potential for positive impact in this sector, yet it cannot substitute the work done by humans."
She mentioned that tier one areas possess specialized editorial groups comprised of people deeply rooted in their respective local cultures. These teams keep track of emerging trends and merge practical insights from the real world with statistical information to guide their choices when crafting playlists, utilizing the very same platforms and materials that resonate with viewers.
Shazam might abruptly emphasize a specific artist, or someone could discover that a track has inspired 50,000 TikTok creations. According to Okumu’s conversation with Massimat, this intersection occurs at the crossroads of human intuition, technology, and analytics—the team relies primarily on gut feeling initially but employs data to confirm these decisions.
What our team does is supply the data to the system. Any advancements in AI occur due to ongoing human oversight. This ensures it isn’t simply making binary guesses—which would otherwise result in your discoveries being somewhat superficial and lacking depth.
As South African musicians gain prominence, they are attracting an increasing number of listeners in places such as Germany and France who are now tuning into their tunes.
We inhabit a digital society. younger cohorts tend to focus less on artists’ genres or languages and more on the emotions the music evokes.
Okumu mentioned that this approach circumvents the gatekeepers from previous eras and eliminates the obstacles that artists from earlier generations needed to surmount.
Global play, local pay
South African artists earned almost R400 million in royalties from Spotify in 2024, which is over twice what they made in 2022.
Image courtesy Spotify.
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, MD of Spotify for Sub-Saharan Africa, stated: "Our mission goes beyond backing South African artists; we're transforming the way they establish enduring careers. The platform enables musicians to receive fair compensation for their skills, fostering a significant surge in cultural creativity with global impact."
The key points highlighted in the report encompass:
- The number of South African artists receiving more than R100,000 or R500,000 from Spotify royalties has increased twofold compared to 2022.
- Royalty payments for music sung in indigenous languages have surged dramatically: Zulu (112%), Sotho (345%), and Afrikaans (114%) have all seen over double the earnings since 2021.
- Much of the royalty income for South African musicians was derived from audiences outside their country.
- The worldwide usage of SA music amounts to more than 600,000 hours per day on average.
- Approximately 220 million playlists featuring SA artists have been created worldwide by users.
- The export growth for South African artists has surged by 104% in the past three years.
- The local consumption of SA content has skyrocketed by an impressive 281% over three years, showing a staggering 96% increase year over year.
The Loud and Clear campaign illuminates the distribution of streaming income and royalties, aiding South African musicians and their crews in grasping the intricacies of the digital music industry. Over 3,000 regional artists have appeared on curated playlists, enhancing their exposure and global outreach.
• Review the Spotify Yearly Music Economy Report here .
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