5 artists to know to start your journey into Afro-house and Amapiano

Closely related but distinct, the two genres have transcended the borders of the Rainbow Nation to establish themselves on the electronic music scenes of Europe and North America and are now among the most streamed electronic music genres. 

In addition to our artists' selection, we also called on Oratile Mmolawa, Senior Label Manager at Believe Africa, to give you a quick but informative overview of everything you need to know about amapiano and Afro house. So, get ready for a home clubbing party! 

Chymamusique began his career at the age of 10, in 2000. And although he is now recognized as a producer and DJ, he started out as a jazz and gospel pianist. In 2005, his growing love for house music led him to production.  

If he waited 5 years to drop his 1st single, his soulful deep house immediately met with success: he won several remix competitions in 2011, released his first album in 2012, and was nominated for Best Remix at the South Africa Music Awards in 2014...  He won the award for Best Dance Album in 2021 at the same awards ceremony for Musique, his 3rd album released on his own label Chymamusique Records. 

In August 2025, Chymamusique released Musique - Collaborated, a follow-up to his previous record. Blending house, afro-soul and jazz, this long-awaited album brings together talented singers and producers from around the world and is maybe his most elaborated work to date. 

With only 4 years of career, Khathapillar is considered one of the rising stars of Amapiano. Playing the piano from the age of 12, he discovered production later in life, refining his unique style during the 2020 lockdown.

Although he released three singles between 2021 and 2023, it was the track “Diqabang" that truly brought him to the public's attention. Released in May 2024, the single, which also features Sol Phenduka, Smash SA, and singer Kamoh Xaba, played throughout the summer, first in South Africa and then around the world, racking up millions of streams.

Shazam was right to name Khathapillar as one of the electronic artists to watch in their Fast Forward 2025 ranking: since January, he has featured on several tracks, released a few singles, reunited with Kamoh Xaba on the recently released track “Ho Lokile”, but most importantly, he has released Kganya, a debut album on which he showcases his sophisticated production style.

Originally from Mpumalanga, Exte C began his career as a DJ in 2011, but shifted his focus to production the following year, releasing his first house tracks in 2013.  His first major hit was undoubtedly "My Way Back", which reached number one on the Top 100 Afrohouse chart on the specialist website TraxSource in 2016.

Over the years, Exte C has worked with numerous prestigious house and afro-house labels such as Kings of Groove, Soul Candi Records, Cabana Recordings or Kaphonic Records. He also founded his own label Groove On Records in 2022

Exte C's 2024 release calendar was packed with two albums, two EPs, and six singles, including the hugely popular "Love", and his 2025 schedule has been almost identical. In addition to several singles, he released the album Timeless with producer Soultouch Deeps in January, followed by the EPs It's My House and Be with Ed-Ward, and finally the album Back 2 Me in October.

Jay Music started experimenting with production and DJing software when he was ten and quickly became interested in Amapiano. He has been releasing tracks since 2019, but his national breakthrough came in early 2022 with “Trip Sessions,” a rather experimental track straying from the norms of amapiano

A few months later, "The Fxkcin Injury" became a platinum-certified international hit. The secret to this song? Jay Music incorporated influences from Gqom, a dark and minimalist local subgenre of house music, which he grew up listening to, along with Kwaito and Jazz.

Since this success, Jay Music's career has taken off. He has released two EPs - including the essential DeepGrooves Vol.1 - and three albums - the most recent, East Kings, with Caleb X, was released last October - and has produced more than fifty tracks, which have accumulated millions of streams and frequently appear on local playlists.

Sometimes called the "One Man Orchestra", XtetiQsoul is a veteran DJ and Producer of the Afro House scene. If his first single "Anointed" in 2012 settled him on the local scene, he gained international fame in 2013 thanks to his remix of the US producer Musaria’s song “Moments”, which received massive radio airplay across Europe, the US and Africa.

This initial success allowed him to release Fantasy in 2015, a debut album that helped cement his reputation. Driven by his passion for house music, XtetiQsoul has developed a very personal sound over the years that combines technical skill and soulful expression. He explores this sound through his prolific discography, but also during his numerous DJ sets.

Choosing the most notable elements of his work is not easy, but it is essential to listen to his tracks "African Child," "Wena Wedwa," or his 2021 EP Human Beings. Released in October, The Awakening is his last album to date