How South Africa Became Africa’s Premier Touring Destination
As the world looks toward Africa as the next frontier of cultural and economic growth, South Africa’s model offers a compelling blueprint.
For a long time, debates have gone back and forth about which city truly deserves the crown as Africa’s cultural capital. From Lagos to Accra, Nairobi to Dakar, several cities are boldly putting their hands up. But while the continent is thriving with creative energy, one nation is stepping forward with the infrastructure, influence, and global pull to back its claim: South Africa. In recent years, South Africa has emerged as the continent’s leading destination for international touring artists from Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar to Chris Brown and Travis Scott. This surge is not a coincidence, but rather the result of decades-long socio-political transformation, strategic infrastructure investment, and the global rise of its cultural exports, particularly in music.
During the apartheid era, South Africa was effectively cut off from global cultural exchange. As the world rallied against racial segregation, the country was subjected to widespread cultural boycotts endorsed by the United Nations that barred international artists from performing in the country. Legendary South African artists such as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Abdullah Ibrahim were forced into exile, using their music as a vehicle of resistance and global advocacy against the apartheid regime.
The end of apartheid in 1994, marked by Nelson Mandela’s election as president, catalyzed the country’s reintegration into the global community. The first multiracial elections, the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the drafting of a new constitution signified a rebirth. Cultural sanctions were lifted, allowing South Africa to reconnect with the global entertainment industry and open its doors to international artists and organizations.
THE SPORTING EVENTS THAT DOUBLED AS AUDITIONS
Taking place a year after the end of apartheid, the 1995 Rugby World Cup was a watershed moment for the country. Not only did South Africa host and win the tournament, but it also demonstrated to the world that the country was ready politically and infrastructurally to host large-scale events. This precedent was solidified with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first to be held on African soil. According to FIFA, the event generated an estimated $3.6 billion in economic impact and brought more than 300,000 visitors to South Africa. The event also resulted in the construction and upgrading of world-class stadiums like FNB Stadium, which now routinely hosts concerts with a capacity exceeding 90,000 attendees.
South Africa’s robust transport networks, stadiums, and hospitality infrastructure set it apart from many African nations. Major cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban boast international-standard airports, luxury accommodations, and modern venues. The Gautrain rapid rail system, high-end shopping districts, and extensive event support services make logistics relatively seamless for international acts.
AMAPIANO AND CULTURAL CAPITAL
Beyond infrastructure, South Africa’s appeal lies in its burgeoning cultural capital. Amapiano–a homegrown subgenre of house music–has exploded globally, in part due to TikTok and YouTube virality since the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Amapiano saw 34 million streams on Spotify; by the end of 2020, that number had surged to over 102 million. Songs like “Mnike” by Tyler ICU and “Tshwala Bam” by Tito M and Yuppe have broken beyond South Africa’s borders, becoming global anthems that dominate dance floors and playlists worldwide. Platforms like Major League DJz’s Balcony Mix and viral hits like “Ke Star” Remix (featuring Nigerian superstar Davido) helped export the genre globally. Meanwhile, vocalist Sha Sha made history in 2020 by becoming the first Amapiano artist to win a BET Award. Also, South African acts like DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, Uncle Waffles, and DBN Gogo have become a permanent fixture on international festival stages.
Tyla’s 2024 Grammy win for “Water” further underscores South Africa’s relevance on the global music scene. With 33 Grammy Awards and 113 nominations to date, South Africa’s musical prowess is long-established. From artists like Black Coffee and Zakes Bantwini to the harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the country has an international pedigree that stands it in good stead.
South Africa’s youth are among the most active on platforms like TikTok on the continent. According to DataReportal’s 2024 report, South Africa has over 17.4 million TikTok users, making it one of Africa’s top content creation hubs. Viral dance challenges and music trends often originate or gain traction in South Africa before spreading across the continent and beyond, establishing the country as a tastemaker in digital culture.
BIG BRANDS AND BIG BUDGETS
According to the World Bank’s Doing Business Report, South Africa consistently ranks among the top three sub-Saharan African nations for ease of doing business. Its legal frameworks, visa policies (notably the artist visa), and established IP laws make it a favorable environment for touring companies and artists.
Additionally, South Africa has a well-developed creative industry ecosystem supported by both local and multinational corporations. Live Nation and Big Concerts regularly book global stars for South African legs of their tours. The DSTV Delicious International Food and Music Festival has hosted artists like Jill Scott and Busta Rhymes, while the Global Citizen Festival brought Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2018, in partnership with the Motsepe Foundation. Corporate brands like Heineken, Jameson, and Flying Fish have also curated branded concerts and pop-ups with acts such as Gunna, J.I.D., and Anderson.Paak
In 2024, Chris Brown’s Breezy Tour drew over 180,000 attendees at FNB Stadium over two nights and generated an estimated R900 million (approximately $48 million) for Gauteng’s economy, while creating more than 6,000 temporary jobs. These figures highlight how the entertainment industry is becoming a key driver of tourism and youth employment in South Africa.
Still, it’s not always smooth sailing. “There are so many hurdles,” says Dale de Ruig, Managing Director of Steyn Entertainment, the force behind festivals like Rocking the Daisies, In the City, and the award-winning label Stay Low. “[Between] the ever-weakening currency, agents who want to extract as much money as possible without regard for local spending power, it’s probably the only industry where you pay, but the talent is treated like the customer. It’s very nuanced and takes real experience to navigate.” Despite the challenges, the interest keeps growing. “Everyone seems to want to perform in Africa,” De Ruig explains. “And with our infrastructure, South Africa becomes the key destination. Artists who are flexible and willing to make it work are coming down in their droves.”
South Africa’s trajectory from cultural isolation to global entertainment magnet is one of strategic investment in infrastructure, policy reform, and cultural capital. The rise of Amapiano, the global acclaim of artists like Tyla, and the country’s unmatched capacity to host large-scale events signal that South Africa deserves its spot as a global cultural landmark. As the world looks toward Africa as the next frontier of cultural and economic growth, South Africa’s model offers a compelling blueprint for other nations on the continent.
Best New Music: Amaarae Gives A Glimpse Of Dance-Pop’s Future On “B2B”
On an intricate body of work where Amaarae manages to infuse most of the songs with a wealth of influences,...
Early in her career, Amaarae largely stood out for her earworm melodies and whispery vocals, which often cooed over airy Afropop-inspired beats. Her 2020 debut album, ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ however, represented a shift in her approach, ambitiously fusing genres like Afropop, sultry R&B, Hip-Hop and Pop-Rock into something that gave an exciting glimpse into what the future of Pop could sound like. The album’s runaway hit single, “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY,” provided Amaarae with significant momentum and a bigger platform to push the envelope even further with her 2023 sophomore ‘Fountain Baby,’ an opulent and sonically diverse album, which positioned her as a new gravitational force in Pop.
On her latest studio album, ‘BLACK STAR,’ Amaarae shows how far out there she’s willing to go, exploring a wide range of dance genres like Jersey Club, Zouk, Detroit Techno, Baile Funk, Deep House, and Kpalongo with equal enthusiasm and reverence, while painting a fuller picture of herself as a Pop savant with no limits. There’s arguably no dull moment across the album’s 44-minute runtime, but the best Amaarae songs tend to be the ones where she sounds like she’s having an intimate conversation with her listener: lush, delicate, and most importantly, sensual. That’s exactly what “B2B” represents.
“B2B, bi to bi / Fuck on me, fuck you back / I unleash, you attach /Fuck on me, fuck you back,” she sings softly in the opening seconds of “B2B,” setting the tone for what is a deviously hypnotic and sexy record that marries the reverie of Deep House with the blissful melodies of South Africa’s Amapiano sub-genre. It’s the kind of song that immediately evokes strobing lights and the humid embrace of a crowded dancefloor, thanks in part to the genius of frequent collaborator Kyu Steed and Ape Drums, the newest member of Major Lazer.
If the first half of the track’s pulsating rhythm is fit for the function, its second half, ushered in by elegant guitar strings, is fit for the wind down, the ride home, where you’re staring out the window, exhausted from the night’s activity. Amaarae’s helium vocals would be fit for company as she gently contemplates the complexities of a steamy affair. ‘Are you my virtue or vice?’ she sings with a dose of skepticism in her voice.
On an intricate body of work where Amaarae manages to infuse most of the songs with a wealth of influences–from the expansive feature list to sampling and interpolating a couple of niche and popular records–“B2B” stands out as arguably the most straightforward track on ‘BLACK STAR.’ It’s breezy in the way a lot of earlier Amaarae tracks were, but also a little more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill Dance bop, highlighting just how unique the Ghanian-American star’s style has grown to become.
Shortly after the release of ‘BLACK STAR,’ Amaarae took to her active X account to give her opinion on her new album. “icl BLACK STAR is my personal favorite amaarae album,” she stated in one tweet like an excited fan account. In another tweet, where she gave her initial thoughts on the album, she lists “B2B” as one of her personal favourites from the album, saying “I THINK B2B IS POSSIBLY THE BEST EXPRESSION OF THE SIGNATURE AMAARAE SOUND (OR ATLEAST MY FAV).” We’re inclined to agree, Amaarae.
Listen to ‘Black Star‘ here.
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Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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