10 top artists per region - In Africa

Profmediaco CEO July 05, 2025

 

10 top artists per region

10 top artists per region—complete with their Spotify listener counts and notable Boomplay highlights. This includes Zambia’s very own Yo Maps and East Africa’s superstar Diamond Platnumz, both shining in their regions.

🌍 Northern Africa

  1. Soolking (Algeria) – ~9.5 M monthly listeners on Spotify; 3.1 B career streams (naijassador.com)

  2. Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt) – major regional streams, often topping Boomplay charts

  3. Balti (Tunisia) – huge Boomplay plays across North Africa

  4. Amr Diab (Egypt) – legendary artist with multi-platform streaming longevity

  5. Saad Lamjarred (Morocco) – viral tracks with strong Spotify & Boomplay numbers

  6. Hamza Hawsawi (Saudi-born, popular across North Africa)

  7. Cheb Khaled (Algeria) – enduring streaming presence globally

  8. Ramy Sabry (Egypt) – consistently boosted on Boomplay

  9. Tunisiano (Tunisia–France) – Spotify top performer in Francophonie

  10. Redone (Morocco) – breakout with high Boomplay rotation

🌍 Western Africa

  1. Ayra Starr (Nigeria) – ~10.5 M monthly listeners; 2.6 B career streams (en.wikipedia.org)

  2. Rema (Nigeria) – ~38 M monthly; 4.7 B career streams (netizenparrot.blogspot.com)

  3. Tems (Nigeria) – ~14.6 M monthly; 3.5 B career streams (naijassador.com)

  4. Burna Boy (Nigeria) – ~16.4 M monthly; global streaming giant (lifestyle.swishinteractiv.com)

  5. Davido (Nigeria) – ~7.9 M monthly; 2.76 B career streams (netizenparrot.blogspot.com)

  6. Wizkid (Nigeria) – ~8.6 M monthly (lifestyle.swishinteractiv.com)

  7. CKay (Nigeria) – ~9 M monthly; 2.5 B streams (naijassador.com)

  8. Omah Lay (Nigeria) – ~8.9 M monthly (naijassador.com)

  9. Asake (Nigeria) – most streamed SSA artist in 2024 (rollingstoneafrica.com)

  10. BNXN (Buju) (Nigeria) – ~3.8 M monthly; rising route player (netizenparrot.blogspot.com)

🌍 Central Africa

  1. Aya Nakamura (Mali/France) – ~3.9 B career streams

  2. Libianca (Cameroon) – ~10.2 M monthly viewers (naijassador.com)

  3. Sabrina (Cameroon) – hit “Abele”; Boomplay/Nigerian charts presence (en.wikipedia.org)

  4. Fally Ipupa (DR Congo) – major African digga with high streaming

  5. Koffi Olomide (DR Congo) – regular Boomplay airplay

  6. Mr Eazi (Nigeria/Ghana links Central) – 1.6 B streams (netizenparrot.blogspot.com, en.wikipedia.org)

  7. VictoNy (Nigeria–Congo heritage) – ~7.1 M monthly

  8. Dadju (DR Congo/France) – prominent Francophone artist

  9. Juls (Ghana producer, strong cross-central influence)

  10. Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) – CENTRAL? East but featured here—massive Spotify & Boomplay star: ~3.5 M monthly listeners, 1 B+ Boomplay streams

🌍 Eastern Africa

  1. Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania) – ~3.5 M Spotify; 1 B+ Boomplay (rollingstoneafrica.com)

  2. Sofiya Nzau (Kenya) – ~9.5 M monthly (naijassador.com)

  3. Barbara Wangui (Kenya) – ~1.3 M monthly (vinceoremo.com)

  4. Idd Aziz (Kenya) – ~1 M monthly (vinceoremo.com)

  5. Zuchu (Tanzania) – 100 M+ Boomplay streams

  6. Abigail Chams (Tanzania) – Spotify Equal; BET-nominated; Boomplay hit (en.wikipedia.org)

  7. Harmonize (Tanzania) – massive regional streaming

  8. Rayvanny (Tanzania) – multi-platform success

  9. Bien (Kenya) – emblematic streaming growth (en.wikipedia.org)

  10. Charisma (Kenya) – part of urban Kenyan wave

🌍Southern Africa (Updated)

  1. Tyla (South Africa) – ~30.5 M monthly listeners on Spotify; over 1.5B career streams.

  2. Uncle Waffles (Eswatini/South Africa) – Amapiano icon; platinum-certified hits; global DJ performances.

  3. Kabza De Small (South Africa) – One of the most streamed amapiano producers worldwide; Boomplay and Apple Music chart regular.

  4. Focalistic (South Africa) – Amapiano/hip-hop blend; collaborated with Davido and others; millions of streams across platforms.

  5. Elaine (South Africa) – Platinum R&B singer; over 1M monthly listeners; “You’re The One” went viral.

  6. Seether (South Africa) – ~7.05M monthly Spotify listeners; one of the continent’s biggest rock bands.

  7. Master KG (South Africa) – Creator of “Jerusalema”; over 500M YouTube views and strong Boomplay numbers.

  8. Big Zulu (South Africa) – Zulu trap pioneer; dominates SA radio and streaming playlists.

  9. Sha Sha (Zimbabwe) – The “Queen of Amapiano”; BET Award winner and amapiano chart-topper.

  10. Yo Maps (Zambia) – Zambia’s most streamed artist; over 300M+ Boomplay streams and growing Spotify numbers

🎧 Insights & Impact

  • Spotify dominance: Western and Southern Africa lead with superstar artists averaging 15–30 M listeners/month.

  • Boomplay power: Particularly strong in Eastern and Southern Africa—artists like Zuchu, Diamond Platnumz, and Yo Maps showcase explosive local success (Diamond & Zuchu 1 B+ Boomplay; Yo Maps 300 M+) .

  • Genre diversity: From Afro‑Pop and Amapiano to Bongo‑Flava, Raï, and Afro‑Rock—reflecting rich regional flavours.

  • Yo Maps: Zambia’s breakout artist with a consistent hit streak and strong streaming stats—now among the continent’s rising names alongside regional heavyweights.

🚀 Final Take

Africa’s music scene is thriving—each region boasts ten leading voices, from Soolking in the North to Tyla and Yo Maps in the South. These artists are not just local legends; they’re streaming powerhouses redefining what it means to break through, continent-wide and worldwide.

Keep tuned-in: Africa’s next global hit could be coming from Lusaka, Lagos, Cape Town…or somewhere in between.

Profmediaco CEO

Posted by Profmediaco CEO

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