African music or Afrobeats in recent times has been the most sought after genre of music globally mainly due to its unique rhythm, fusion of genres, and global accessibility via streaming and social media.
Platforms like Tiktok and Instagram have allowed artistes to go viral, work on collaborations with international music super stars and the inclusion of Afrobeats on global awards schemes and festivals have significantly boosted its mainstream appeal.
In this article, we have reviewed the top ten (10) female African musicians breaking records on the African continent and globally.
1. Tyla: Currently the biggest African female act who proudly hails from South Africa. Tyla’s major achievements include a 2024 Grammy for Best African Music Performance for her hit single “Water”, a song that has also broke records as the first song by a South African female artiste to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years.
She has won multiple awards such as 2 BET Awards, 2 Billboard Music Awards, 3 MTV Europe Music Awards, and made history with the first-ever Spotify billion stream count for a South African solo artiste with “Water”.
2. Tems: She has won two Grammy awards, making her the first Nigerian to do so. She has also received numerous other accolades including NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, cementing her status as a global Afrobeats star. Her success is notable given her journey from a regular job to a renowned international artiste.
3. Ayra Starr: She is one of the biggest names on the African continent with regards to the Afrobeats genre of music. She has received various accolades including four Headies Awards, two MOBO Awards, one BET Award, a Turntable Music Award and a Liberia Music Award. She is from Nigeria and got discovered by music executive Don Jazzy.
4. Theodora: She has rapidly achieved significant success in the French music scene with her unique blend of Pop, Rap and Caribbean bouyon music.
Her breakout single, “Kongolese sous BBL” in 2024 achieved viral success on Tiktok and social media, propelling her into mainstream. The “Kongolese sous BBL” was certified Diamond in France. Her 2024 debut album, “Bad Boy Lovestory” followed by “Mega BBL” released in May 2025 have certified Gold and includes three Gold singles and one Diamond single. She is a French-Congolese singer.
5. Aya Nakamura: She is a ground breaking French-Malian Pop and Afrobeats singer who has achieved international success and numerous records, particularly as the most streamed French-speaking female artiste in the world.
Her songs have accumulated over 6.5 billion streams on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Her 2018 album “Nakamura” is the most streamed French language album in history and has sold over one million copies internationally.
6. Moliy: A Ghanaian-American singer and songwriter, who has achieved significant global success with a hit single, major awards, and groundbreaking performance. She is a leading figure in the global rise of African music, known for blending Afropop, R&B and Dancehall.
Her single “Shake It To The Max (Fly)” became the a global sensation in 2024 after going viral on Tiktok. The remix with Skillibeng and Shenseea surpassed a billion streams and topped charts worldwide. It held the No. 1 spot on Billboard US Afrobeats Songs Chart for 22 consecutive weeks. It peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. It received both BPI Gold and RMNZ Gold certifications.
7. Amaarae: She is a critically acclaimed Ghanaian-American artiste known for a unique experimental sound that fuses Pop, R&B, Afrobeats and Alté genres.
Her single “Sad Girlz Luv Money (Remix)” featuring Moliy and Kali Uchis achieved global success becoming a viral hit on Tiktok and the first song by an Afrobeats female artiste to debut on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has amassed over 370 million global streams and was certified Platinum by RIAA and Silver in the UK.
8. Zee Nxumalo: The South African singer achievements include winning the Sofnfree Artiste of the Year award and the Editor’s Award at the 2025 Basadi in Music Awards and GLAMOUR Women of the Year Awards.
She also had her song “Ngisakuthanda” certified multi-platinum, reached number one on Apple Music South Africa, and was named Apple Music’s “Up Next Artiste” in 2024.
9. MaWhoo: The South African singer and songwriter has achieved significant success in Amapiano music scene, notable for her chart-topping hits, numerous collaborations with major artistes and digital streaming milestones.
She gained wide recognition with her 2019 debut single “Umshado” featuring Heavy-K which garnered a million views on Youtube.
10. Babalwa M: Her achievements include winning the 2025 Basadi in Music Awards for Amapiano Artiste of the Year and being named Spotify’s EQUAL Africa Artiste of the Month in August 2024.
She has also achieved significant success with her released projects, “Candour” and “Acquiesce” and was ranked as the second most-streamed female artiste in South Africa in 2024.
