Spotify wraps up 2022

Spotify has revealed South Africa’s Wrapped 2022, the platform’s deep dive into the music that defined the year for users locally. 

It gives Spotify users a detailed snapshot of their most listened-to artists, creators and songs. Audio Day shows how Spotify users’ musical choices evolve throughout the day, while a new feature called Your Listening Personality tells users what the music, they listen to 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 features messages from artists to their listeners, which they will be able to share as Wrapped cards via WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. They can also unlock a personalised Snapchat lens that reflects their listening personality. Those active in the Roblox universe can head to Spotify Island for fun and games. 

“South Africans can be proud of what their creatives in music are achieving,” says Warren Bokwe, Spotify artist and label partnerships manager in South Africa. “They are making noise in the right places, and at the right time.”

This year, Amapiano became South Africa’s hottest genre. The 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% from 2021 to 2022.

Here is the full breakdown of South Africans streamed on Spotify this year: