NEWS
OkayAfrica’s Rewind: Best African Music & Cultural Moments of 2025
As the year ends, OkayAfrica has curated special content to celebrate the best of 2025 — from music, to cultural moments, and events.
2025 has been a canon year for many African creatives, and the diverse cultural scenes across the continent, marked by incredible milestones, breakout stars, and a global shift in attention toward the continent's vibrant creative and musical scene. To celebrate the sheer power and influence of this moment, OkayAfrica has curated a special collection of content that shares the most important events, groundbreaking music, and unforgettable cultural moments from the past twelve months. From chart-topping hits and viral dance challenges to critical conversations and international tours, this is our essential wrap-up. Dive into our handpicked selections, from
The Best Afrobeats Songs of 2025 to The Best Amapiano Songs of 2025, and revisit some of the coolest, most impactful things that have happened on the continent this year.
The Best Afrobeats Songs of 2025
2025 was full of unforgettable Afrobeats moments. From global collaborations and genre-blending tracks to viral hits and hidden gems, this year saw the sound reach new heights. Discover OkayAfrica’s critics' essential picks for the year’s most exciting, chart-topping, and culturally significant African music. Read here.
The Best Amapiano Songs of 2025
The Amapiano wave was undeniable in 2025. From soulful grooves to high-energy anthems that dominated dance floors globally, here’s the genre's most innovative tracks with OkayAfrica’s essential selection. Read here.
The Best East African Songs of 2025
OkayAfrica highlights the standout tracks shaping East African music in 2025, with top picks from Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the diaspora. Read here.
The Best North African Songs of 2025
OkayAfrica's Best North African Music of 2025 is a vibrant sonic map, showcasing a scene both deeply rooted and globally fluent. From the rhythmic fusion of Moroccan Gnawa and Rap to the emotional introspection of Egyptian Electro-Shaabi, this essential list features artists blending ancient Arabic scales with contemporary trap and indie production, defining a powerful year for the region. Read here.
The Best West African Songs of 2025
The best West African music from 2025 came from artists with relatively small but committed listeners and fan bases. Check out OkayAfrica’s list of artists that built community and changes lives with their music. Read here.
The Best Southern Africa Songs of 2025
Southern Africa continued to anchor the continent's dance floors in 2025 while pushing into daring new territory. Our list celebrates a year of high-voltage collaboration and soulful innovation. Whether it’s the gritty Gqom-Tech of Durban or Zimbabwe’s infectious dancehall rhythms, these tracks represent a region at the peak of its creative powers. Read here
A Look Back at How OkayAfrica's 2025 Artist Picks Performed
At the start of the year, we published a list of Artists To Watch. It only made sense to do a retrospective on how the artists fared during the year, what strides they made, and if our predictions were accurate. Read here.
