Warner Music Group completes full acquisition of Africori

With this acquisition, WMG strengthens its foothold in Africa’s rapidly growing music industry, positioning Africori and its artists for greater global success. It is part of WMG’s broader investment in Africa, following strategic partnerships with Chocolate City, Diamond Platnumz’s WCB-Wasafi, Coleske, and Ziiki Media.

“Over the past four years, we’ve shown that proper investment, synergies and cooperation have created value for artists, but also that Warner Music has helped energise and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of a local partner,” Warner Music Africa managing director, Temi Adeniji, said. “We’ve upstreamed Africori artists and plugged them into our global network, delivering international remixes and trend-driven cross-collaborations that have helped elevate their careers.”

The relationship between WMG and Africori began in 2020 when Africori secured global distribution rights through Warner Music’s Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), giving ADA access to Africori’s vast network and establishing Warner Music’s presence in key African markets for the first time.

In 2022, WMG acquired a majority stake in Africori, allowing the company to continue operating independently under the leadership of Yoel Kenan. As of 11 February 2025, WMG confirmed that Africori will maintain its status as a standalone entity, with Kenan remaining as CEO and reporting to Adeniji.

Founded in 2009, Africori has built one of the largest independent song catalogues in Africa, representing more than 7 000 artists. The company boasts an impressive roster, including Kelvin Momo, Master KG, Nkosazana Daughter, Oscar Mbo, and TitoM & Yuppe.