Online Reporter
As streaming continues to reshape the global music industry, South African artists are proving they are not only keeping pace but leading the charge. Music streaming giant Spotify has revealed that local artists generated more than R504 million in royalties on the platform in 2025, marking a significant 28 percent increase year-on-year.
The figures were unveiled in Spotify’s annual Loud & Clear report, a global initiative launched in 2021 to provide transparency around streaming economics, artist royalties and how revenue flows through the music industry.
This year’s report paints a powerful picture of South Africa’s growing influence on the global music scene, with local artists nearly doubling their Spotify earnings since 2023.
Speaking at the launch event held at Spotify’s new offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy said South African musicians have cemented themselves as a “globally dominant creative force”.
“South African artists are not only experiencing explosive growth but have solidified their position as a globally dominant creative force,” she said.
“Their success is driven by worldwide demand, ensuring that independent and local talent alike are being discovered by billions of listeners and taking the international stage by storm.”
One of the standout findings from the report is the continued rise of independent music. More than half of all royalties generated by South African artists on Spotify in 2025 came from independent artists or labels, highlighting how streaming platforms are helping musicians bypass traditional gatekeepers.
The global appetite for South African music also continues to soar. Nearly 74% of royalties earned by local artists came from listeners outside South Africa, showing the international demand for genres such as Amapiano, Afro-pop and hip hop.
Spotify also revealed that South African artists were discovered by first-time listeners more than 1.6 billion times in 2025, representing a 40 percent increase from the previous year. In addition, close to 3,550 South African artists were added to Spotify editorial playlists over the course of the year.
Locally, South African music continues to dominate listening habits. The report found that 67% of tracks featured on Spotify South Africa’s Daily Top 50 chart in 2025 were by South African artists.
The platform also highlighted emerging listening trends, with genres such as cloud rap, pop country, acoustic country, pop rap and worship music seeing the fastest growth in South Africa over the past five years.
Female artists are also making major strides. Local streams of South African female musicians increased by 22% year-on-year, while international streams grew by 20 percent.
Language and cultural identity continue to play a significant role in music consumption too. According to Spotify, music performed in isiZulu recorded a 37 percent increase in global royalties year-on-year and has grown by more than 120 percent over the past two years.
Although unable to attend the event, Solly Malatsi shared a statement commending Spotify for investing in South Africa and recognising the country as a creative hub for the continent.
Malatsi also challenged the platform to further support African languages, skills development and transparency within the music ecosystem -IOL
