Spotify has shared a new snapshot of R&B listening habits across Africa and South Africa in 2025, highlighting the genre's continued popularity while revealing the songs, artists, cities, and countries driving its growth.
According to Spotify, South African listeners streamed R&B for more than 8.5 billion minutes in 2025, the equivalent of over 142 million hours spent listening to the genre.
Across Africa, Nigerian artists continue to leave a strong mark on contemporary R&B. The platform's list of the Top 5 Streamed R&B Songs in Africa includes Rema's Baby (Is It a Crime), Kunmie's Arike, FOLA and Kizz Daniel's Lost, and Ayra Starr's Gimme Dat featuring Wizkid. Topping the list is Venus by Faceless and Serøtonin.
Spotify also revealed the Top 5 Streamed African R&B Artists of the year, with Tyla leading the pack, followed by Tems, Ayra Starr, Omah Lay, and Fireboy DML. In South Africa, Tyla also takes the lead.
In South Africa, listeners showed a strong preference for both classic and contemporary R&B. Fantasia's When I See U emerged as the country's most-streamed R&B song of the year, ahead of Mariah Carey's We Belong Together, Miguel's Sure Thing, Chris Brown's Residuals, and SZA's Snooze.
Johannesburg remains South Africa's biggest R&B streaming city, followed by Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, and Port Elizabeth.
Spotify's data also points to a youthful audience driving the genre's success. Across Africa, listeners aged 18 to 24 account for 46.6% of all R&B streams, while those aged 25 to 29 make up another 24%. In South Africa, the 18–24 age group represents 40.9% of listeners, with 18.7% coming from those aged 25–29.
Among African countries, Nigeria leads R&B streaming on Spotify, followed by South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Zambia.
The latest figures reflect R&B's enduring appeal across the continent, with African artists continuing to shape the genre while attracting millions of listeners through streaming platforms.
