12 African Artists to Watch in 2025 – OkayAfrica

A woman stands in a doorway, wearing a white top, patterned skirt, layered jewelry, and a headpiece made of colorful bottle caps—an eye-catching look inspired by African artists featured on OkayAfrica in 2025.

A new year in African music holds a lot of promise. It’s a time for musicians and listeners to rethink their creation and consumption patterns, with a whole new year ahead, making even the most elaborate plans possible. With last year producing so much good music, it’s pretty clear that African music — and its popular Afrobeats and amapiano scenes — are in a good place.

This year offers a chance for new musicians to ascend to greater levels of acclaim, and this list is a recognition of the acts closest to it. From…