Mandoza’s ‘Nkalakatha’ Tops Spotify Charts After Playing in Rugby World Cup 2023

• Mandoza's enduring legacy lives on as his hit track Nkalakatha tops Spotify's charts in South Africa, marking the late Kwaito star's most streamed song on the platform since its launch
• The industry has paid tribute to him posthumously, with the release of Back For More on Spotify in 2017, making his music accessible to older millennials and Gen Z fans in 20
• Spotify's Sub-Saharan Lead, Warren Bokwe, highlights how advancements in audio technology enable the rediscovery of pre-streaming music, benefiting the broader creator economy

Mandoza may be gone, but his memory and legacy live on forever. The star's hit Nkalakatha recently charted streaming giant Spotify's charts.

Nkalakatha tops Spotify's charts

Based on data from the global streaming platform, Nkalakatha stands as the most streamed song of the late Kwaito star since Spotify's launch in South Africa.

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Following closely behind is Respect Life, from an album released a few years after the Nkalakatha cultural phenomenon. The top five most streamed songs also include Indoda, Sgelekeqe - Mindlo Mix, and Tsotsi Yase Zola.

The industry has previously paid tribute to Mandoza on multiple occasions. Following his passing, a single titled Back For More was released to commemorate his life and reintroduce his music to the public. Although it became available on Spotify in 2017, it wasn't until 2018 that his music became accessible for his older millennial and Gen Z fan base to stream on the platform.

According to a statement shared with Briefly News, Spotify’s Sub-Saharan Lead, Music Strategy and Operations Warren Bokwe said Advancements in audio technology allow for the rediscovery of music released before the streaming era, ultimately contributing to the expansion of the creator economy.

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"Technology advances within the audio space enable music released pre-streaming to be discovered which in turn aids the growth of the creator economy at large. Our intent is to further make the discovery on the platform more meaningful."

Who is streaming Mandoza's music?

The age group of 35 to 44 years old takes the lead, closely followed by those aged 30 to 34, in terms of Mandoza's listeners. This isn't surprising, considering they grew up during the period when he was making a significant impact on the South African music scene.

In contrast, Gen Z listeners, who were either young or not yet born during the release of his top five songs and albums, are lagging behind.

Spotify also pin-pointed Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town respectively, as the places where Mandoza’s music is streamed the most in South Africa.

Gaborone in Botswana and Auckland in Australia led the cities outside South Africa. Interestingly, Auckland and Perth in Australia were among the top cities streaming Mandoza’s music 5 years ago, when Spotify launched.

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Wiseman Mncube invites feedback on Nkalakatha: The Life of Mandoza 1st episode

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported that Mzansi finally watched BET Africa's biopic Nkalakatha: The Life of Mandoza on Wednesday, 16 August.

The series dramatised the life of the late Kwaito star, Mduduzi 'Mandoza' Tshabalala, who passed away in 2016 from a cancer-related complication.

Source: Briefly News