Spotify announced its annual Loud & Clear report, revealing that South African artists generated over R504 million on the platform in 2025. This represents a 28% year-on-year increase and nearly double their earnings since 2023. As Spotify celebrates 20 years of existence this year, this phenomenal growth confirms that the country’s independent and local talent is dominating the international streaming landscape, driven by worldwide demand.
Spotify’s Loud & Clear is an online, data-driven initiative launched in 2021 designed to increase transparency on music streaming economics and royalty payouts. It provides insights into how Spotify pays rights holders, how money flows through the streaming industry, and features interactive tools to analyse artist earnings and streaming milestones.
Key findings from this year’s report demonstrate the music industry’s significant momentum:
Commercial power and momentum:
- Royalties generated by South African artists from Spotify alone reached nearly ZAR 504M in 2025, an increase of 28% year on year (compared to South Africa’s total recorded music market increase of +18%, looking at streaming alone (IFPI South Africa)), and nearly doubling since 2023
- More than half of all royalties generated by South African artists on Spotify in 2025 were generated by independent artists or labels
Global reach and discovery:
- Nearly 74% of all royalties generated by South African artists on Spotify in 2025 were from listeners outside of South Africa
- In 2025, South African artists were discovered by first-time listeners over 1.6 billion times on Spotify, an increase of 40% since 2024.
- Nearly 3,550 South African artists were added to editorial playlists on Spotify in 2025
Local resonance and cultural trends:
- South African artists were responsible for over two-thirds (67%) of the tracks that were featured on Spotify South Africa’s Daily Top 50 in 2025
- The genres that have seen the highest growth in the last five years in South Africa on Spotify alone are cloud rap, pop country, acoustic country, pop rap, and worship
- Local streams of South African female artists grew 22% year on year, while their international streams grew 20% year on year
- Music performed in Zulu has grown 37% in royalties generated globally year on year, and over 120% across two years.
The event, held today at Spotify’s new offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, brought together industry leaders, media, and content creators for meaningful conversations and insights. Joceleyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director of Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, noted, “Loud & Clear’s report this year proves that South African artists are not only experiencing explosive growth but have solidified their position as a globally dominant creative force. 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.”
Minister Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, shared his official statement with the team, as he was unable to attend. In his remarks, he thanked Spotify for choosing South Africa as the hub for the continent and for believing in the country’s creative talent. He encouraged Spotify to promote the discovery of artists locally and globally, while challenging the platform to do more to support African languages, invest in skills development across the music ecosystem, and promote transparency. Phiona Okumu, during the Loud & Clear South African panel, responded, “This is a challenge we accept as Spotify.”
Spotify recognises African music as a global cultural force, noting that success in Johannesburg connects to Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, and beyond. African artists are shaping global culture in real-time. Spotify’s presence here means supporting that reality and understanding how people engage with audio. People are not just listening, but they are participating, and that creates a responsibility for us to build something that truly supports and amplifies African voices globally.
