It’s that time of year again when all Spotify users get to proudly showcase their listening habits. Wrapped 2022 is here and with it, Spotify has shared the collective listening habits of South Africans.
The way we listen to music says a lot about us. As part of Wrapped 2022, Spotify users get a detailed snapshot of their most loved artists, creators and songs. And as part of this year’s fun, Audio Day shows how Spotify users’ musical choices evolve throughout the day while the new Your Listening Personality feature tells users about the music they listen to and what that says about their music taste. One of 16 different Spotify-created Listening Personality types is assigned to each user based on their 2022 listening trends.
Wrapped 2022 will also feature messages from artists to their listeners, and because sharing is caring, users will be able to share their Wrapped cards via WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also unlock a personalised Snapchat lens that reflects their listening personality and those active in the Roblox universe, can head to Spotify Island for even more fun and games.
“South Africans can be proud of what their creatives in music are achieving. They are making noise in the right places, and at the right time,” says Warren Bokwe, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager in South Africa.
This year, Amapiano became South Africa’s hottest genre and this year’s Spotify Wrapped shows that South Africans truly believe local is lekker.
- The top most streamed South African artists locally in 2022 are Amapiano artists
- Kabza De Small appears in five out of seven top music streaming lists in South Africa this year, leading the charge as the most streamed South African artist and proving that the genre known for birthing creative dance challenges, is unstoppable
- Kabza De Small is not only the most streamed South African artist, but he is also one of only two South African artists to feature in the top ten most streamed artists overall in South Africa, ranking second to Drake, and ahead of The Weeknd, who claims the number three spot
- KOA II Part 1 by Kabza De Small also tops the charts for the most streamed South African album in South Africa in 2022
- Kabza De Small is the top most streamed South African artist in South Africa followed by DJ Maphorisa, his main collaborator. The two are also well known for their Scorpion Kings projects
- AmaPiano Grooves, a playlist made up of some of the country’s hottest Amapiano tracks, unsurprisingly, is the most streamed playlist in South Africa this year
- K.O’s genre-bending track SETE, released in August, claims the title of the most streamed song in Mzansi while Paris, by Q-Mark claims the number two spot, followed by Glass Animals’ Heat Waves, and Wanitwa Mos’ Dali Nguwe and Lost Frequencies’ Where Are You Now rounding out the top five.
- South Africans showed the most love to K.O’s hit track SETE. It received the most likes via the heart button. ‘Liking’ is how you tell Spotify that you’re into a particular song, album, or playlist
- Dali Nguwe by Wanitwa Mos is the number one South African song streamed globally, followed by uMlando by 9umba, Lady Du, Mdoovar, Sino Msolo, Sir Trill, Slade, TOSS, Young Stunna at number two with Paris (feat. Afriikan Papi) by Afriikan Papi, Cloud9ne, Q-Mark, TpZee rounding the top three
- The most streamed South African artist globally list is dominated by Amapiano artists, led by Kabza De Small followed by DJ Maphorisa, Young Stunna, Mellow & Sleazy, Blxckie, Nasty C, Makhadzi, Ami Faku with Joyous Celebration rounding up the list
- South Africans repeatedly streamed SETE, it is the number one most repeated song in South Africa
- In South Africa, Paris (feat. Afriikan Papi) by Afriikan Papi, Cloud9ne, Q-Mark, TpZee is streamed every day
- South Africans love to get the party started as soon as the work week is over with many streaming the most music on Fridays and kicking the party off promptly at 5PM (the top time of day that they like to listen to music on Spotify)
- Local music consumption in South Africa has grown exponentially, increasing by 85% between 2021 and 2022
The full breakdown of South Africans streamed on Spotify this year is below.
| MOST STREAMED ARTISTS IN SA | MOST STREAMED SOUTH AFRICAN ARTIST IN SA | MOST STREAMED SONGS IN SA |
| Drake Kabza De Small The Weeknd Chris Brown Kendrick Lamar Kanye West DJ Maphorisa Taylor Swift Ed Sheeran J. Cole | Kabza De Small DJ Maphorisa Mellow & Sleazy Blxckie Young Stunna Nasty C Makhadzi Joyous Celebration Ami Faku A-Reece | SETE (feat. Young Stunna & Blxckie) by K.O Heat Waves by Glass Animals Paris by Q-Mark Dali Nguwe by Wanitwa Mos Last Last by Burna Boy As It Was by Harry Styles Under The Influence by Chris Brown WAIT FOR U (feat. Drake & Tems) by Future uMlando by 9umba Where Are You Now by Lost Frequencies |
| MOST STREAMED SOUTH AFRICAN SONGS IN SA | MOST STREAMED ALBUMS IN SA | MOST STREAMED SOUTH AFRICAN ALBUM IN SA |
| SETE (feat. Young Stunna & Blxckie) by K.O Paris by Q-Mark Dali Nguwe by Wanitwa Mos uMlando by 9umba Asibe Happy by Kabza De Small Sengizwile (feat. Aymos & Young Stunna) by Mas Musiq Abo Mvelo (feat. Mellow & Sleazy & M.J) by Daliwonga Tanzania by Uncle Waffles Abalele by Kabza De Small Sofa Silahlane by Wanitwa Mos | Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar = by Ed Sheeran Certified Lover Boy by Drake KOA II Part 1 by Kabza De Small Amagama by Nomfundo Moh Planet Her (Deluxe) by Doja Cat Love, Damini by Burna Boy Dawn FM by The Weeknd Justice by Justin Bieber Harry’s House by Harry Styles | KOA II Part 1 by Kabza De Small Amagama by Nomfundo Moh Auti ‘eSharp by Mas Musiq Ivy League by Kelvin Momo Notumato by Young Stunna The Best Of BeLee-DAT by BeLee-Dat Spontaan by Riaan Benadé African Queen by Makhadzi Ichwane Lenyoka by Big Zulu B4Now by Blxckie |
| MOST STREAMED PLAYLISTS IN SA |
| AmaPiano Grooves Songs to Sing in the Shower Today’s Top Hits Deep Sleep Soft Pop Hits Hot Hits South Africa African Heat Afrikaanse Hits I Love My ’00s R&B Sleep |
Amapiano surpassed a billion global streams as predicted in May this year with the launch of Spotify: Music That Moves – a series focusing on locally grown music and showcases the cross-border and cross-cultural appeal of the genre in far-flung locations beyond South Africa. The genre and its artists are growing globally and locally as evidenced by this year’s Wrapped data.
