DJ Maphorisa Announced That He’s Leaving the Amapiano Genre, Fans Say It’s a Boss Move

• South African amapiano titan DJ Maphorisa announced that he would be leaving the popular genre to go back to his afrohouse roots
• The announcement came as afrohouse DJs like Black Coffee and Shimza are performing for the world's larger markets, which might be DJ Maphorisa's new target
• The online community has received the news with both surprise and cheers for the DJ, who is seen to be making a wise business move

DJ Maphorisa, a titan in the South African amapiano scene, has announced he is stepping away from the genre that elevated him to stardom.

This surprise revelation has sent ripples through the music community. Many are left wondering what prompted such a significant change.

DJ Maphorisa, whose music set a new Spotify record in late 2025, is known in the music space by his persona duality as Madumane (the rapper) and his more popular alter ego, Maphorisa (the DJ).

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As a DJ, the muso started in the genre of house, where he is said to be heading back.

The announcement went viral on X after a user by the handle @2022Africa amplified the news.

The account captioned the post thus:

"DJ Maphorisa announces that he is leaving the amapiano genre and going back to Afro-house music."

See the full post below:

Fans have mixed reactions

The online community has erupted with reactions ranging from shock to support.

Fans have taken to social media to express their feelings about this bold move.

One user, @Jabu_MacDonald, doubted the switch:

"I don’t believe him."

Another one, @Mphoo_Chidi hyped up the DJ, saying:

"Farewell legend, at least you are leaving us in the good hands of @KabzaDeSmall_."

@KHO10_F310 commented:

"I doubt it. Amapiano is where the money is."

@GugsOnline added:

"He's not! After he drops the project with Zaba he will drop amapiano singles."

@Bongani6010 wrote:

"Oh, 3 step is going to be big. I think he will be hopping on to the sound. I think we are literally seeing the decline of amapiano as a genre."

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@ieatbee said:

"They called us haters when we said amapiano is starting to sound the same. Real music is back and DJ careers will die soon."

@timsagrado wrote:

"He is one of the pioneers of amapiano music. However, change is growth and there is absolutely nothing wrong with switching lanes."

Another user, @alincume_za, saw a potential business move the DJ might be pursuing:

"Afro-house and Afro-tech are the only ticket to get more gigs internationally. That is why DJ Black Coffee and Shimza are focused on that genre. This is a business move for Phori."

DJ Maphorisa denies gatekeeping the amapiano genre

The amapiano powerhouse, who is often credited as one of the genre's pioneers, was previously accused of gatekeeping the genre by making it harder for other creatives to thrive in it.

At the time of the accusations, the muso took to his X account to clear the air and tell his side of the story.

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Prince Kaybee reacts to DJ Maphorisa's genre switch

Briefly News previously reported that Prince Kaybee responded to rumours that DJ Maphorisa has dumped amapiano.

The award-winning music producer laughed off reports that Maphorisa is switching genres.

Source: Briefly News