Mandoza’s Music Sees A Spike On Spotify Following BET Africa Biopic

Mandoza’s biopic titled ‘Nkalakatha: The Life of Mandoza’, chronicling his ascent to superstardom was announced on the 16th of July, and began airing in August on BET. 

A look at Spotify data shows a streaming spike between that date and 28th of August. Leading this resurgence as the most streamed song is ‘Nkalakatha’, Mandoza’s 2000 single, a South African music juggernaut that is still a staple at rugby matches, corporate SA end-of-year-parties and shebeens in all corners of South. 

’Nkalakatha’ was also his all-time most streamed song since Spotify launched in South Africa. It is followed by ‘Respect Life’, taken from the ‘Mandoza’ album released in 2004. ‘Indoda’, ‘Sgelekeqe’ and ‘Tsotsi Yase Zola’ tally in the top five most streamed songs.

‘Nkalakatha’, the album, is the most streamed Mandoza album, and rounding up the top five albums are ‘Mandoza’, ‘Tornado’, ‘Phunyuka Bamphethe’ and ‘Champion’, all of whose positions remained unchanged pre-and post-announcement of the biopic. 

35- to 44-year-olds lead the pack followed by 30- to 34-year-olds when it comes to Mandoza’s listeners, little wonder as they grew up around the time when he was making his mark on the South African music industry. 

Unsurprisingly, Gen Zs, who were either young or not yet born when the top five songs and albums were released, are trailing behind.

‘Nkalakatha’ was neither Mandoza’s debut release nor his only hit. The Soweto-born star was previously part of the group Chiskop and a year before ‘Nkalakatha’, released the album, ‘9II5 Zola South’. ‘Nkalakatha’ became one of Kwaito’s first crossover hits, as it managed to appeal to both Black and white people in South Africa’s then-young democracy. 

Spotify 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 five years ago, when Spotify launched.