African Pop Culture Goes Global: Trends & Opportunities
By 2030, young Africans (aged under 25) are expected to constitute 42% of youth worldwide (WEF, 2022). This mighty cohort is taking up its place at the centre of global pop culture via trailblazing movements in music, TV and film, social media and live entertainment, asserting its commercial and cultural influence. We spotlight who to watch and why.
Youth-Powered Music Movements: Tracking Afrobeats & Amapiano
Film & TV: Homegrown African Entertainment Powers Up
Africa’s New Creative Vanguard: XR, Art, Photography & Fashion
Africa’s Content Creators: TikTok & Instagram Influencers Defining Internet Culture
African music has become a globally influential export in the past five years, as the sounds of the continent’s subcultures reach eager American and European ears. Two key genres – West Africa’s afrobeats (combining funk, pop, reggae and R&B) and South Africa’s amapiano (laid-back, jazz-infused house) – are hitting major streaming numbers, creating bankable crossover stars (including a strong contingent of women) and fuelling club culture.
African music has become a globally influential export in the past five years, as the sounds of the continent’s subcultures reach eager American and European ears. Two key genres – West Africa’s afrobeats (combining funk, pop, reggae and R&B) and South Africa’s amapiano (laid-back, jazz-infused house) – are hitting major streaming numbers, creating bankable crossover stars (including a strong contingent of women) and fuelling club culture.
Summary
Youth-Powered Music Movements: Tracking Afrobeats & Amapiano | African music has become a globally influential export in the past five years, as the sounds of the continent’s subcultures reach eager American and European ears. Two key genres – West Africa’s afrobeats (combining funk, pop, reggae and R&B) and South Africa’s amapiano (laid-back, jazz-infused house) – are hitting major streaming numbers, creating bankable crossover stars (including a strong contingent of women) and fuelling club culture. |
Film & TV: Homegrown African Entertainment Powers Up | Powered by thriving local creative industries, Africa’s entertainment sector is establishing its influence and financial might (see Key Stats). As Netflix strengthens its African presence, homegrown film and TV productions – from South African streaming platform Showmax’s original content to Nigeria’s film industry and Africa-made animation series – are holding their own and unlocking new opportunities for global partnerships. |
Africa’s New Creative Vanguard: XR, Art, Photography & Fashion | Global attention is also being paid to Africa’s rich contemporary arts scene, powered by a new vanguard building artistic and commercial impact, from explorations in extended reality (XR) to Lagos’s prospering art fair and a flourishing crop of photographers working with global fashion brands. |
Africa’s Content Creators: TikTok & Instagram Influencers Defining Internet Culture | Social media usage in Africa is rising, reaching 384 million people in 2022. While Facebook remains the most popular platform, TikTok and Instagram are growing, spurring a crop of increasingly influential comedy-, style- and beauty-based content creators redefining African youth culture (including attitudes towards womanhood and masculinity) and taking their values global. |
African Pop Culture Goes Global: Trends & Opportunities
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Offering access to over 350 consumer and cross-industry reports annually, Stylus Membership is your window to tomorrow’s most exciting opportunities.
We already arm more than 500 of the world’s most forward-thinking brands and agencies with the creative insights they need to make transformative business decisions.
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