Warner Music expands into Francophone Africa

The collaboration integrates the A&R, digital, and marketing teams from the three entities. In addition to his new role, Chapalain will maintain his position as A&R manager at Africori, and Niang will continue as A&R director for French-speaking African repertoire at Warner Music France.

WMG’s investment in African companies like Ziiki Media, Chocolate City, and Africori has elevated artists such as CKay and Rema, alongside partnerships with Nigerian singer Joeboy, South African DJ Yumbs, and Ghanaian label Small World Records.

“I’m excited about the new venture, which will spotlight incredible talent from Francophone Africa,” Chapalain said. “It aims to connect diverse sounds and regions, elevate releases for maximum success, and expand the music’s reach globally. I’m grateful to Alfonso Perez Soto and Yoel Kenan for pushing this initiative forward.”

Niang added: “It’s important for us to be able to create new synergies for the development and structure of the Francophone market in Africa. While the region is steeped in both culture and talent, the ecosystem faces challenges. Our team will connect creatives and help shape the environment to drive cross-cultural success. I want to thank Alain Veille, Alassane Konaté, and Temi Adeniji for giving us this opportunity to take French-speaking African artists to the world stage.”

Simon Robson, who was announced in August as WMG president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, noted: “There’s a strong cultural trade route between France and West Africa. WM Africa Francophone will help us support the artists in that space, just as our 91 North venture is successfully doing with talent working the similar trade route between Canada and India.”

Spotify reports that more than 100 million listeners in non-Francophone countries are enjoying French-language music, with streams of this genre increasing by 94% since 2019.

Meanwhile, WMG recently finalised a multi-year deal with Meta, covering platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and, for the first time, WhatsApp, expanding upon earlier agreements made in 2018 and 2020.