As we kick off a new year in African music, OkayAfrica asked all of our correspondents from across North, West, East, and Southern Africa to tell us what artists they’ll be keeping their eyes on in 2026.
From the likes of South Africa’s Zee Nxumalo and Ciza, to the buzzing Congolese act Rebo, Sudanese rapper Soulja, and many more, these are our picks for the African musicians to look out for in the upcoming year.
Read ahead for our African artists to watch in 2026.
Danpapa GTA (Nigeria)
With his hair dyed a shocking silver blonde, a lithe frame, and springy energy, from afar, Danpapa GTA could pass for your average neighborhood alté kid visiting home from university. And while that might technically be true, Danpapa GTA is anything but average. The rapper and singer is particularly interesting because beneath that veneer of grunge is a musician who is inventive, subversive, and delightfully playful. His songs, often produced by him and usually a cross between soft trap and funk, are grounded in elements of socio-consciousness, favoring stars like Fela Kuti, Burna Boy, and Cruel Santino. On “Suffering & Smiling,” a nod to Fela Kuti’s song of the same title, he sings about complicit pastors, a struggling economy, and social rot, all laid over a bouncy, psychedelic beat. “Church members struggle and crying / Just because of the money they’re finding,” he says in the song.
He’s already built a strong underground following on TikTok, teasing an unreleased song that plays on dial tones, and sharp, memorable lyrics like “No go thief for Ikeja.” At a time when the Nigerian music scene seems to be throwing anything at the board to see what sticks, Danpapa GTA brings something that made this country’s biggest stars what they are: a strong perspective and something interesting to say. — Nelson C.J
Ciza (South Africa)
Ciza has been putting in work since 2020, using the hard lockdown as a catalyst to flex his artistic range on songs like “Bank Notification” with DJ Maphorisa and “Carolina 2.0” alongside Major League DJz. But it’s only in the past year that his star has illuminated beyond his immediate circle. Released in April 2024, “Isaka” was the stratospheric hit that caught us unawares, sending our collective dancing shoes sprinting toward the dancefloor. Alongside JAZZWORLD (formerly Jazzworx) and Thukuthela, Ciza helped craft one of 3-Step’s defining records, pushing the bustling genre further into mainstream consciousness and inspiring a wave of offshoots in the process. By August, Tems and Omah Lay had jumped on the remix, while a remix EP tailored for the European summer kept the song in heavy rotation. With that momentum behind him, it’ll be compelling to see how much ground the vocalist, born to record-label executive TK Nciza and Nhlanhla Mafu of Mafikizolo acclaim, covers this year. — Tšeliso Monaheng
Ino Casablanca (Morocco)
Born in Spain to Moroccan parents and raised in France, Ino Casablanca’s music is a wild mix of rap, acoustic textures, and electronic elements. The singer, songwriter, and composer builds his own tracks and experiments with Maghrebi, Latin, and Caribbean rhythms. In 2025, he released his sophomore album EXTASIA, an invitation to a block party in Paris where one can dance to salsa, raï, and trap. Ino Casablanca is currently touring France with the album and gaining more popularity in the region. Here’s to hoping for cool collabs and appearances in North Africa as Casablanca grows his international audience. — Amuna Wagner
Itaré (Tanzania)
At just 23, Dar es Salaam-born musician Itaré is emerging as one of Tanzania’s exciting new voices. He started as a teenager posting freestyles on SoundCloud, gradually building toward singing and a multi-genre sound shaped by constant experimentation. That range is clear on his 2025 self-titled debut EP, Itaré, a bold seven-track project that feels confident and fully formed. Its standout single “Where You Want,” featuring legendary Tanzanian rapper Joh Makini and South Africa’s Kane Keid, was selected as one of OkayAfrica’s Best East African Songs of 2025. With that kind of foundation already in place, it’ll be exciting to see how Itaré expands in 2026. — Paula Adhis
Zaylevelten (Nigeria)
There’s a corner of rap music in Nigeria ambling to the center of conversations on its own terms. The music is heavily colored by youth-leaning slang and colorful production choices ranging from amapiano’s log drums to drill’s sliding bass, and a general attitude of invincibility. Zaylevelten embodies the qualities of this scene in a way that feels sustainable, showcasing a skill level that goes beyond the niche but fast-growing hype of this wave. Last year’s mixtape, then 1t g0t crazy, is a scan of his roving alchemy, where Tenski – as he’s known to his growing legion – stomps across trap beats, surfs over spacier choices, and dances in the pockets of groovier beats. His concerns are exactly what you’d expect from a boisterous persona: money and decadence-obsessed. There’s considerable momentum behind him; it’s intriguing to see where he goes from here. — Dennis Ade Peter
Rebo (DRC)
Fast-rising Congolese star Rebo began her singing journey in church. It’s not an uncommon story, but it’s shaped her into an incredibly strong vocalist. Inspired by Doja Cat, Rebo lends her skills to rap and singing, switching between a high-pitched falsetto and a deep rasp. Versatile and a natural entertainer, Rebo has a strong chance of taking the francophone music scene by storm this year. Already showing signs of this inevitable takeover, tracks like her latest release, “Shoko Shoko,” an upbeat Afropop track, and the slower, R&B-leaning “Antidote” show her incredible range and her readiness to make a name for herself. — NCJ
Soulja (Sudan)
Sudanese rapper Soulja is a staple in OkayAfrica’s music lists; his song “Argeen” was featured in our Best North African Songs of 2025. Sudanese musicians have had a hard time being heard in the MENA region, but the rhythms of their unique Arabic dialect and rich music history are simply irresistible. There’s still a long way to go in breaking down racist boundaries, and Soulja has been at the forefront of bringing Sudanese music to the Arab world — Rolling Stone MENA featured him as the only Sudanese musician in their yearly roundup of 75 songs. Based on Soulja’s recent social media posts teasing a “new era,” it seems like he’s planning to go beyond the region in 2026, and we’re hopeful to hear more on his sophomore album. Touring schools with Soulja in the “Donia” music video, Sudanese artist Montiyago is another great rapper to watch in 2026. — AW
Zee Nxumalo (South Africa)
Zee Nxumalo is a genre-shifting artist, bending melodies to her will across maskandi, 3-Step, amapiano, and beyond. Her earliest forays into music were as a rapper, and you can still hear it in how the Eswatini-born South African artist approaches a song: with the self-assuredness of someone who knows her bars will land. “Ngisakuthanda” from 2024’s Inja Ye Game EP continues to enjoy heavy rotation at parties and on the radio, while 2025 marked a decisive shift in her public profile, with a back-to-back schedule that demanded she show up. And show up she did. On “Bhampa” with Vigro Deep and Ch’cco, she delivers party raps that flip the groove on its head; on “Rato Laka” with Shebeshxt, her elastic vocals meet Naqua SA’s lekompo production to produce one of the year’s most indelible releases; and “NgyaSindelwa” finds her going back-and-forth, vibing hard on DJ Lag’s riveting gqom beats. She’s one of one, and we’re eager to see what she has in store next. — TM
Braye (Nigeria)
Every time Braye sings, it’s a soul-baring mission. The Nigerian singer possesses a voice that naturally strains towards the light; his melodies are effortlessly impassioned like a whiskey-fueled confessional. Last year, he released his debut EP, I Wish I Had More Time, four songs that showed an already clear identity without narrowing the singer’s future possibilities. In it, he processes doubt, reaches for freedom, and searches for romantic bliss through the morass. There’s acoustic soul, chamber folk, and standout, “Bring You Home,” is a pop-rock gem with a distinct African flair. This is in addition to reggae-inspired and bossa nova excursions of singles released before the EP. Braye has shown enough glimpses of his specialness to accrue growing recognition over the past few months, and this year looks like it’s set to be a springboard to further fanfare. — DAP
Lusanda (South Africa)
There’s a gentle force to Lusanda, thanks to a weightless voice that fills whatever space it inhabits. In late 2023, the South African artist sat on a bed, legs crossed in a matching hoodie and sweatpants, and pulled off an affecting, acoustic cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” A year later, she released her debut single, “When You’re Around,” a smoky song about how attraction simmers into the kind of obsession that can be unhealthy. Despite the buzz generated by her first release, Lusanda has been moving on a slow, intentional timeline, evidenced by last September’s single “Progress.” Her voice glides over rippling keys and thumping bass, as she surveys the path laid out towards her dreams and assures herself that everything is within reach, even if progress takes a while. It feels like the precursor for more activity going forward. — DAP
