Despite this, a number of artists had a successful year, releasing hits and signing profitable record and endorsement deals. As usual, Nigerian and Ghanaian artists dominated the West African region while their South African and Zimbabwean counterparts ruled the continent’s south. One big success story in the latter region was amapiano singer Sha Sha, who is mentioned among our A-listers. The most impressive Central and North African musicians are mostly based in the diaspora, particularly in France, while East Africa impressed with artists working in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Southern Africa

Master KG (South Africa)

South African musician and record producer Master KG was arguably the most impressive artist out of Africa this year with his hit ‘Jerusalema’, an upbeat gospel-influenced house song featuring songstress Nomcebo Zikode. The track was accompanied by the #JerusalemaChallenge and spawned dance videos from many countries around the world, including Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Jamaica, Canada and the US. ‘Jerusalema’ catapulted Master KG’s career and earned him trophies at the MTV Europe Music Awards, African Muzik Magazine Awards, Feather Awards, and NRJ Music Awards in France where he triumphed over Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo and The Weeknd. He was also nominated at the MOBO Awards and Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards and signed an exclusive deal with Elektra France. The musician continued to solidify his name internationally when he made it onto Jay-Z's Tidal 2020 playlist.

Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)

The South Africa-based Zimbabwean singer made waves this year when she triumphed in the BET Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act category against Rema (Nigeria), Celeste (UK), Young T & Bugsey (UK), Hatik (France) and Stacy (France). Sha Sha, with the help of Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa, has earned herself fame in amapiano and is regarded as the ‘First Lady’ of the genre. The ‘Tender Love’ hitmaker made waves when Spotify and Deezer ranked her among the most-streamed artists of the year. She was also nominated in the Best Female Southern Africa category at the 2020 African Muzik Magazine Awards but lost to South Africa’s Sho Madjozi. 

Nasty C (South Africa)

South African rapper Nasty C started off the year on a good note when he inked a deal with Def Jam Recordings. Without doubt a unique and forward-thinking artist at the forefront of a new generation of rappers emerging from Africa, Nasty C released Zulu Man With Some Power, which became one of the most-respected albums on the local hip hop scene. Released on Def Jam, the 20-track offering features top artists Tellaman, Ari Lennox, Rowlene, Lil Gotit, Lil Keed and T.I. The album was described by Billboard as “South Africa’s best bet for a mainstream crossover.” In July, Nasty C teamed up with US-Haitian DJ Whoo Kid on the release of his mixtape Zulu. A month earlier, Nasty C and T.I. were featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers for a virtual performance of ‘They Don’t’. He was also the most streamed South African hip hop artist on Spotify in 2020.

Elaine (South Africa)

South African R&B revivalist Elaine has become a formidable force on the local music scene, particularly after the release of her debut EP Elements. She was featured on Apple Music’s New Artist Spotlight platform and in March became the first local artist to benefit from Spotify’s Radar programme for upcoming artists. Not to be outdone, Apple Music featured Elaine on its Soul September campaign in celebration R&B and soul. Also featured were John Legend, Toni Braxton, Tamia, Anthony Hamilton, Ari Lennox, Alina Baraz, Snoh Aalegra, Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monet, making Elaine the only African artist on the campaign. In August, Elaine claimed the top spot as the most streamed female artist on Apple Music South Africa in 2020. Deezer placed Elaine at No 5 of its top-10 local artists in South Africa and top-10 local tracks in South Africa 2020 lists. Also in August, she signed a recording deal with Columbia Records. 

Ami Faku (South Africa)

Five years ago, Afro-soul singer Ami Faku was unaware that she would command a huge following in South Africa. Today, she is one of the most sought-after female voices and has collaborated with top artists such as Prince Kaybee, Shimza, Black Motion, Sun-El Musician and Blaq Diamond. In May, ‘Into Ingawe’, a song she did together with Sun-El Musician, was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA). The song also took the No 7 spot on Deezer’s 2020 top-10 tracks in South Africa list. Her other track, ‘Inde Lendlela’, received a gold plaque from RiSA in June. The singer also clinched the coveted Female Artist of the Year Award at the South African Music Awards for her debut album Imali. Together with Elaine, Ami Faku was the most streamed female artists on Spotify in South Africa based on numbers compiled in July.

Kabza De Small (South Africa)

Kabza De Small needs little introduction. He has mesmerised South Africans with the Scorpion Kings album, which he co-wrote and produced with partner in crime DJ Maphorisa. The album earned him awards at the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards, African Muzik Magazine Awards and South African Music Awards. Spotify and Deezer listed him at No 1 of the most streamed local artists and tracks in South Africa. 

Prince Kaybee (South Africa)

South African house artist Prince Kaybee made a huge impression this year with his hit song ‘Uwrongo’ featuring Ami Faku, Shimza and Black Motion. The song reached No 1 on a number of South African radio stations, and held the same position on Radiomonitor's South Africa Top 100 chart for several weeks. It achieved gold status two months following its release and was featured on Time Magazine's 10 Best Songs of 2020 list. Prince Kaybee also took home the Male Artist of the Year Award for his album Re Mmino at the South African Music Awards. In addition, he won then Favourite Song of the Year Award at the DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards for his song ‘Gugulethu’. 

Anglophone West Africa

Burna Boy (Nigeria)

Nigerian Afro-fusion artist Burna Boy has become a towering figure on the continent’s music scene – an African giant. In 2020, he was nominated for a Grammy for a second year running, after the release of his album Twice As Tall. The musician, who has been at the forefront of the #EndSARS campaign, signed a deal with SESAC in October, joining an elite roster of international artists affiliated with the US performance rights organisation, including Bob Dylan, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox and Adele. That same month he was nominated for a MTV Europe Music Award, but lost out to Master KG. 

Mr Eazi (Nigeria)

Mr Eazi is a leading example of a modern-day music entrepreneur and philanthropist. In July, he announced the launch of a $20m fund for emerging African artists and secured a global distribution deal between his independent music company emPawa Publishing and Kobalt. He maintins his place among the continent’s musical elite with offerings like the One Day You Will Understand EP and the explosive track ‘Oh My Gawd’ featuring Nicki Minaj and Major Lazer. The ‘Miss You Bad’ singer, alongside Tiwa Savage and Davido, was featured in Billboard magazine’s May issue, in a story bearing the headline ‘This Isn't a Fad’: Three of Africa's Biggest Stars on Making the Industry Come to Them.

Tems (Nigeria)

For many industry watchers, Tems is next up. Since launching her career with songs like ‘Mr Rebel’ and ‘Try Me’, the Nigerian singer’s career is looking unstoppable. Apart from collaborating with big names like Wizkid and Davido, Tems was selected for prestigious artist incubator programmes like YouTube Music’s Foundry and has been cited by everyone from Apple Music to Spotify as an African artist to watch. 

Omah Lay (Nigeria)

Like Tems, Omah Lay is a co-bearer of the ‘leader of the new wave’ label. Through his EPs Get Layd and What Have We Done, he has become known for his fixation on the many faces of love, and his rising popularity has seen him secure spots on Apple Music’s Africa Rising and Audiomack’s #UpNow programmes. He also signed an elusive deal with Warner Music this year. 

Shatta Wale (Ghana)

In his home country of Ghana, dancehall singer Shatta Wale holds a firm grasp on the music industry with a never-ending streak of hit songs and a constant presence in the tabloids for his unorthodox charisma. The release of the video for Beyoncé’s ‘Already’ not only signifies a pivotal moment in his career, but also the most important one for Ghana’s participation in the global music industry this year. 

Stonebwoy (Ghana)

In a country where international collaborations are a key indicator of pop acclaim, Ghana’s Stonebwoy comes second to none. Part of the reason his album Anloga Junction is arguably the country’s biggest album this year is its glowing guestlist that includes South African rapper Nasty C and American R&B singer Keri Hilson. In October, Stonebwoy guested on British singer Emeli Sande’s ‘More of You’, adding to his growing list of high-profile collaborations. 

Wizkid (Nigeria)

That Wizkid is among Africa’s top musicians is hardly a surprise by now. This has been the case for something like a decade. The ‘Ojuelegba’ singer’s many feats this year include an endorsement deal with international sportswear brand Puma and the release of his commercially successful Made in Lagos album, which in November became the third most-streamed Nigerian album on Spotify with more than 10 million streams.

Davido (Nigeria)

Davido completes the Big Three of Africa’s Afrobeats/pop scene (alongside Burna Boy and Wizkid). Like previous years, the hits have flowed, the latest being ‘Fem’ off his A Better Time LP. The song not only brought joy to the streets but also served as a rallying point for Nigeria’s youth during the #EndSARS protests. Additionally, merely days after A Better Time’s release, the album, which packs party anthems and collaborations from everyone from Nas to Nicki Minaj, recorded 100 million streams across all major digital platforms, once again reaffirming Davido’s status at the very top.

Francophone West Africa

Aya Nakamura (Mali/France)

France-based Malian singer Aya Nakamura reached, once again, incredible streaming numbers and a strong media presence with her new album Aya. Her song ‘Joile Nana’ was certified platinum and she won the Best Francophone Artist accolade at the 2020 NRJ Music Awards. Best known for her song ‘Djadja,’ which has more than 700 million views on YouTube, the popstar topped the charts in 2020 by mixing urban and Afrobeat sounds. Last year, she became the most streamed French female artist in France and internationally. Her eponymous 2018 album scored seven top 10s on the French singles chart, a first for a female artist. 

DJ Mix Premier (Ivory Coast)

The Ivorian artist did well with his single ‘Complicated Love', which made local headlines in 2020. The artist also won the Primud d'Or 2020, which is designated for the most outstanding artists in his home country. 

Youssou N'Dour (Senegal)

Senegalese legend Youssou N'Dour once again flew the African flag high in 2020. The singer was admitted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and led a fierce fight against the coronavirus by initiating a collaboration with several pop artists from Senegal under the banner ‘Daan Corona’. 

Kaaris (Ivory Coast)

France-based Ivorian rapper Kaaris made a huge impact this year with his song ‘Goulag’, which was certified gold. The artist also made a mark with his song ‘1er coeur’ featuring Congolese rapper Maître Gims. 

East Africa

Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

The sky is the limit for Diamond Platnumz’s music career. This year, he hit 3 million subscribers on YouTube and clocked more than 900 million views on the video streaming platform, ahead of Nigeria's Wizkid, Burna Boy and Davido. The ‘Eneka’ singer also appeared on the 100 Most Influential Young Africans list and was considered for a Grammy nomination. He was also crowned the winner in the Best Male East Africa category at the African Muzik Magazine Awards. 

Zuchu (Tanzania)

Zuchu is another Tanzanian artist who impressed in 2020. She has positioned herself as one of the top female musicians in the country’s vibrant music scene. In July, Zuchu signed a recording deal with Wasafi Classic Baby, the stable owned by Diamond Platnumz. She received several awards, appeared on the 2020 Grammy Awards consideration list, and came tops in the Best Newcomer category at the African Muzik Magazine Awards. The singer has collaborated with such top artists as Diamond Platnumz, Mbosso and Khadija Kopa, a revered female taarab musician. 

Sauti Sol (Kenya)

Kenyan pop group Sauti Sol signed an exclusive recording agreement with Universal Music Africa in February, which was followed by the release of the album Midnight Train featuring South African acts the Soweto Gospel Choir, Sho Madjozi and Black Motion. The band then embarked on live-stream album ‘tour’ dubbed The Midnight Train Virtual Experience, which received more than 95 000 viewers on social media. In August, the band premiered a new reality TV series called Sol Family on the Maisha Magic Plus TV channel. 

Harmonize (Tanzania)

Harmonize made it on Billboard magazine’s Top 15 Sub-Saharan African Artists list, which also features Fally Ipupa, Diamond Platnumz, Davido, Fally Ipupa, Wizkid, Innos'B, Mr Eazi, Flavour, Eddy Kenzo and Yemi Alade. His debut album Afro East has impressive guest appearances from the likes of Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, Skales, Khaligraph Jones and Mr Eazi. ‘Jeshi’ is among the top songs of on the album, and according to Boomplay, Harmonize amassed more than 10 million streams in 2020. He was nominated in the Best Male East Africa category at the 2020 African Muzik Magazine Awards but lost to countryman Diamond Platnumz. 

Central Africa

Fally Ipupa (DRC)

This year has been a successful one for Congolese singer Fally Ipupa. In February, the rumba star made his debut at AccorHotels Arena, a well-known concert venue in Paris, France, with a capacity of more than 20 000. He also made various contributions to help those affected by the coronavirus. In June, amid the lockdown, he released his first single of the year titled ‘Allo Téléphone’, which hit 10 million views on YouTube. Apart from releasing music, Fally Ipupa won the Best Male Central Africa and Best Francophone trophies at the 2020 African Muzik Magazine Awards and was fourth on Billboard magazine’s list of African artists whose videos were most viewed on YouTube between May 2019 and May 2020. 

Gaz Mawete (DRC)

Gaz Mawete was Fally Ipupa's guest at the AccorHotels Arena concert in Paris this year. He also featured Fally Ipupa on his hit song ‘C’est raté’, which earned him the Video of the Year Award at the African Muzik Magazine Awards. He was nominated for the Best African Act Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards, but lost to South Africa’s Master KG. 

Innoss'B (DRC)

Following the 2019 release of his single ‘Yope Remix’ featuring Diamond Platnumz, Congolese artist Innoss'B was nominated in the Best International Act BET Awards category at this year’s BET Awards but lost out to Burna Boy. Innoss’B was ranked sixth on Billboard magazine's list of African artists whose videos were most viewed on YouTube between May 2019 and May 2020. In July, he released another single titled ‘Olandi’, which did well on YouTube. It was followed by a collaboration with Belgian-Congolese rapper Damso on another hit track called ‘Best’.

Ninho (DRC)

France-based Congolese artist Ninho confirmed his success on the French hip hop scene after the release of his album Destin in 2019. Since 2018, the rapper has become one of the most streamed French-speaking rap artists. His mixtape M.I.L.S 3.0 was released in March and his track ‘Lettre à une femme’ was certified platinum. In October, Ninho performed for the first time in his country of origin. 

Salatiel (Cameroon)

Cameroonian singer Salatiel made an impression when he collaborated with Beyoncé on ‘Water’ off her album The Lion King: The Gift. The video for the song was released in August. He is the first French-speaking artist to collaborate with the American superstar. This year he released ‘Touche Pas (Anita 2)’, which is performing well. 

North Africa

Amr Diab (Egypt)

Egyptian singer and actor Amr Diab made a huge impression this year when he appeared on the Forbes Middle East Top 100 Arab Celebrity list of the most famous singers, actors and TV personalities. The 59 year old, who has received the most international music awards for album sales in the Middle East, relaunched his acting career when he was cast in an upcoming Netflix Arabic musical series for the Middle East and North Africa. In November 2019, he appeared on a towering Spotify billboard in Times Square in New York as part of the music streaming company’s efforts to promote his brand as well as music from the Middle East and North Africa. The development marked the first time an Arab artist had appeared on a Times Square billboard. 

Raja Meziane (Algeria)

Exiled Algerian rapper, lawyer and activist Raja Meziane is known for her anti-government songs aimed at tackling social injustice, corruption and inequality. This year, Essence Magazine listed her on The Africa List: The Best in Entertainment, Culture and Business for her political music video ‘Allo le Système!’ The song became an anthem for the protest movement the forced Algerian president President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign in April 2019. He activism saw her voted among the BBC’s 100 most influential women of 2019. This year, she released the highly successful singles ‘1M de Vies’ and ‘Doña Victoria’.

Soolking (Algeria)

Algerian rapper and singer Soolking had a successful 2020, with his Vintage album featured in the 2020 edition of the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing’s (SNEP’s) Top Albums list of 2020. The album took third spot, with the first and second positions accorded to Congolese rapper Nhinho and The Weeknd. Soolking and Ninho became the most streamed artists by African users on Deezer. The Deezer ranking was revealed on 22 May ahead of Africa Day celebrations, and features the top 20 most streamed artists in Africa. In June, Billboard published a list of the most watched musicians in 11 African countries, which included Soolking, Otile Brown, Hamo Bika and Diamond Platnumz, among others. 

Tamer Hosny (Egypt)

Pop singer Tamer Hosny is one of the most streamed artists in Egypt. His song ‘Nafs El Nehaya’ amassed more than 12 million views two weeks after of release in November. The song is off his Khaleek Fulazy album, which also features ‘Fe Gamal Keda’, ‘Karahteny Fel Hob’, ‘Awelny Kalam’, ‘Be Alf Salama’, ‘Mabatalnash Ehsas’ and ‘Ekhteraa’, a track that boasted more than 30 million YouTube views at the time of writing.