Spotify announced today that South African dance genre Amapiano achieved over 1.4 billion streams on the platform in 2023. The genre’s impact on music culture in South Africa and globally has sparked a craze, with dance challenges, collaborations, and fusions inspired by Amapiano. This influence has led to the launch of “A Decade of Amapiano,” a site exploring the genre’s development over the past ten years, along with an on-platform Amapiano destination featuring key playlists and podcasts for those interested in the genre’s origins, sounds, and future.

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant period for Amapiano’s growth on Spotify. The genre reached 100 million streams in 2020 and surged to 300 million streams in 2021, highlighting its increasing popularity. “One of the most affirming parts of watching Amapiano explode over the past decade is seeing how people use it for self-expression,’’ says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music in Sub Saharan Africa.