Amapiano vs Afrobeats: South African Living Abroad Finds Nigerians, Sparks Hilarious Debate

• A South African woman living in Europe shared that she met Nigerians in her Italian class
• After approaching them, she told them that South Africa's amapiano was better than their Afrobeats
• Social media users in the post's comment section loved how bold the woman was and represented Mzansi
• A producer based in Cape Town explained to Briefly News the difference between amapiano and Afrobeats

South Africans and Nigerians have a long-standing, playful rivalry, especially when it comes to claiming supremacy over music genres like amapiano and Afrobeats.

Adding fuel to the banter, a South African woman living abroad encountered Nigerians, sparking a hilarious debate concerning the two genres.

Woman starts playful, controversial conversation

A South African woman named Nikita, who lives in Europe, shared on her TikTok account (@nikita_navin) that she randomly met Nigerian students in her Italian class.

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Approaching the West African women, Nikita smirked and said to them:

"I just have one thing to say: Amapiano is better than Afrobeats."

One of the women called Nikita's claim a lie and invited her to sit down.

Watch the video below:

The difference between amapiano and Afrobeats

A Cape Town-based producer at Take Your Time Productions explained to Briefly News that amapiano emerged between 2012 and 2014 in Johannesburg townships and gained widespread popularity in 2018.

"Amapiano initially developed as a grassroots movement spread by local DJs and social media. It became known for its deep house influence, heavy basslines and signature log drum sound, which gives a distinct, bouncy rhythm."

The music expert also shared that Afrobeats developed in the early 2000s in West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana, and draws from the broader Afrobeat genre pioneered by Fela Kuti in the 1970s, later evolving into a distinct, pop-oriented sound.

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Internet users react to woman's take on amapiano and Afrobeats

Thousands of social media users headed to the woman's comment section to share their opinions about the controversial take on the genres.

@malaikas_perspective told app users:

"Amapiano and Afrobeats rock! As Africans, we should always love and encourage each other."

@unongoloza said to Nikita:

"You are representing our country. They should give you a seat in parliament."

@akitatinaka2 humorously added in the comments:

"This will definitely weaken our diplomatic relations."

@zama_mathonsi, who enjoyed the video, said:

"I love your spirit for causing problems."

@t3mi_t shared with the online community:

"This is what it should be about: jokes. Did you hear her say, 'Come and sit down'? That's how the friendship begins."

@xxteresaaaaaa wrote in the post's comment section:

"What an icebreaker, and a great way to immediately gain a family."

Nigerians claim to have popularised amapiano to the next level

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Earlier this year, Briefly News reported that Nigerians were asserting their influence on the popularity of amapiano, which caused an uproar on TikTok.

The video went viral and sparked a heated debate about which country, South Africa or Nigeria, made better songs in the genre.

Source: Briefly News