Spotify celebrates 5 years in South Africa

POPULAR music streaming platform, Spotify is celebrating five years of being among the biggest music and audio platforms in SA.

Spotify looked into the data of how South Africans have been listening, creating, and connecting in that time. It found that South Africans spent 1.2 billion hours listening to music and spent 23 billion hours listening to podcasts.

In March, the platform kicked off a first-of-its-kind four-day tour of Amapiano history hotspots across Mamelodi, Soweto, and Johannesburg. Kwaito, House, and an amalgam of other South African cultural forces led to the development of the Amapiano genre.

Managing Director for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy spoke about the influence of Amapiano.

“Amapiano's unique sound and infectious beats have captivated audiences around the world, and are sure to keep fans dancing for years to come. As more artists emerge and push the boundaries of the genre, there is no doubt that Amapiano is set to become a mainstay in the global music scene,” said Muhutu-Remy

Esteemed fashion designer Thebe Magugu also took over the Fashion Forward playlist, a tracklist recognizing the cohesion between music and fashion.

Through his takeover, Magugu showcased the music that inspires his creativity and the music that soundtracks his story as an African, and as a designer.

“As the name suggests, the collection looks at the past through a modern sense - much like the artists selected, who beautifully combine the past, the present, and slight suggestions for the future through their intelligent, genre-bending, and afro-centric stories,” he said.

“As Africans, storytelling has always been an immovable facet to our culture, and - especially as artists - have always found the most progressive ways to express our vivid internal landscapes - whether individuals or communal,” added Magugu

The carefully curated playlist of over 50 tracks focuses on what Thebe describes as transcendental dance, combining African sounds with modern attitude, and the folkloric elements of his selections.

YouTube Sensation Mpoomy Ledwaba, recently hosted a festival that centred on her Wisdom and Wellness podcast.

The festival was a great success and was attended by scores of guests, culminating in an intimate space for sharing life stories and personal inspiration.

Ledwaba’s podcast focuses on the same - inspiration through sharing of individual experiences and lessons.