Beyond the Hits: How to Build Africa’s Sound as a Business

Africa’s music is now a global export, streamed by billions and fueling one of the fastest-growing regions in the world’s entertainment economy. But even as the numbers rise, the continent’s music infrastructure—management, licensing, collective rights—lags behind. The result: a booming creative scene that still struggles to convert cultural power into economic power.

Across the continent, the question is shifting from “How do we break out?” to “How do we build wealth?” And the answer, say industry experts, may have less to do with talent than with training.

From Talent to Infrastructure

That shift is at the heart of the Connect for Culture Africa (CfCA) programme, run by Selam in partnership with the African Union (AU). CfCA’s agenda, articulated around public investment, youth and women empowerment, and professionalisation of the creative sector, is in line with the AU’s 1% for Culture commitment in Agenda 2063, urging member states to allocate at least one percent of national budgets to arts, culture, and heritage.

Building systems that can transform creative success into sustainable livelihoods is not only a cultural priority, but also an economic necessity. In a continent where 60% of the population is under 25 and where youth unemployment and underemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa are estimated by the ILO to be between 8 and 10%, this can be a magic bullet.

Within this conversation, cultural policy advocate Tonderai Chiyindiko, writing for CfCA, has emerged as one of the continent’s sharper voices. In his analysis of South Africa’s music sector, he argues that “talent alone is not enough.” Chiyindiko warns that the shortage of skilled artist managers “leaves many artists unsupported, careers short-lived, and opportunities lost.”

The Skills Shortfall

In his CfCA feature, Chiyindiko draws on several industry perspectives to illustrate how deeply the management gap runs.

In a 2025 interview on Power FM’s POWER Talk, award-winning producer DJ Maphorisa noted that most booking agents in South Africa are “forced by circumstances… to double-up as artist managers.” He described advising fellow Amapiano star Kabza De Small on “how to handle media, corporates, and even what to say or not say on social media,” adding that while this was only a fraction of a manager’s responsibilities, it underscored “how deep the skills gap runs in our ecosystem.”

DJ Maphorisa

Thando Nyameni, Managing Director of the KwaZulu-Natal United Music Industry Association (KUMISA), writes Chiyindiko that he “completely agrees with the sentiments shared by Maphorisa,” adding that a major part of the problem stems from “a widespread misunderstanding of what an artist manager actually does.”

“Booking agents, road managers, or other role-players are often mistaken for artist managers simply because the function has never been clearly defined,” Nyameni explained in Chiyindiko’s CfCA article.

Artists are often left to self-manage or rely on informal networks that do not fully understand the business of music

Chiyindiko, drawing from Eddie Hatitye’s (Executive Director of the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF)) sentiments writes that “the lack of professional artist management is one of the most pressing structural weaknesses in the South African music industry today, and indeed across much of the continent.”

“Artists are often left to self-manage or rely on informal networks that do not fully understand the business of music,” Hatitye added. “Talent without professional infrastructure is a missed opportunity.”

Brad Holmes, veteran promoter and founder of Bassline Live, made a similar point in his comments in the CfCA feature, explaining that “the artist manager is responsible for finding the right agents for particular global territories… connected to programmers of local and international festivals and venues.”

Holmes warned that emerging managers must “know how the industry is working—and forecast how it will work in the future.”

Policy on Paper, Problems in Practice

Eventhough it’s just on paper, governments are beginning to acknowledge these issues.

As Chiyindiko notes in his CfCA analysis, South Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) Master Plan (2022) proposed establishing a Creative Industries Skills Development Forum to coordinate training across the sector. However, the plan leaned heavily toward instrument and sound-production manufacturing, leaving management and business training on the periphery.

Two years later, the National Music Sector Policy and Strategy (2024) recognised “a gap in formalised music-business education, particularly in the field of music law,” and called for measures to expand career prospects for music graduates. But progress has been slow and uneven, particularly when it comes to training a new generation of professional artist managers.

Chiyindiko argues that “half-day masterclasses won’t build the calibre of managers needed to navigate global deals, copyright law, AI, and branding.” What Africa needs are pipelines, not panels.

Pipelines, Not Panels

To professionalise artist management, the sector must start with definition. Unless there is a shared understanding of what an artist manager actually does, training or certification cannot succeed.

National and regional professional associations can lead the way by developing competency frameworks that map critical skills—from contracting and copyright management to touring arrangements, data analysis, and AI-led marketing.

Universities and academic institutions should, however, offer year-long programmes certified by an authority with labels, promoters, and web platforms. The shift from short workshops to continuous learning can unlock tens of thousands of opportunities for young Africans entering the creative economy.

Follow the Money

Education alone won’t fix the problem. Stronger collective management organizations (CMOs) are essential to ensuring that royalties follow the music—across borders, platforms, and airwaves, as Eric Musyoka, Chair of the Recording Industry of Kenya (RIKE), told Music In Africa.  That would be made possible by reciprocal agreements between CMOs, frequent audits, and transparent governance.

Mr Eazi

Speaking to Music Business Worldwide, Nigerian-Ghanaian artist and entrepreneur Oluwatosin Ajibade, better known by his stage name Mr Eazi lamented that “there is not one company that is 100 percent focused on just distributing African music, just servicing African music, working with African artists.” Through his company emPawa Africa, he aims to fill that gap, while also telling the U.S. based music business publication Trapital that “there’s no one right path for all artists… that optionality is especially important for artists (and founders) in Africa.” 

In a separate TechCrunch interview, he framed his broader vision bluntly: “The reason I’m investing in music tech is to make sure we have African equity in the structures that are integral to the ecosystem, because that’s where the real power and value lie.”

Equally critical is financial ownership. Following the example of Mr Eazi, African investors need to take equity in the distribution, data, and tech infrastructure that underpin the industry. True creative sovereignty depends not just on producing the content, but on owning the pipelines through which that content flows.

As the saying goes: if you don’t track it, you can’t measure it. Annual, transparent Artist Earnings Reports—similar to Spotify’s country-level disclosures—could show how much money actually reaches creators, giving policymakers and investors the data needed to design smarter interventions.

From Momentum to Mastery

According to IFPI projections, Sub-Saharan Africa’s recorded-music trade revenues could reach US$180–200 million in the next few years if current growth continues. Markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania are expected to expand their share as streaming deepens.

But numbers alone won’t secure the future. The test now is how the continent channels that growth—through professionalisation, education, and ownership.

Africa’s sound already moves the world. The next revolution must ensure it pays the people who make it.

When roles are clear, managers trained, rights systems functional, and ownership local, the continent’s next music boom won’t just stream worldwide—it will finally sustain the talent at its heart.

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