The Best Southern African Songs Right Now

April has seen a string of new hits coming out of the Southern African region. OkayAfrica has rounded up the best songs coming out of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and more for your listening pleasure.

A lone person on a white horse raises a sword against a dramatic, stormy sky, set against a silhouette of mountains and distant flags

Internet Girl kick off the year with their first single, a sizzling earworm that builds upon previous releases.

Photo by Internet Girl/YouTube.

We’re getting deeper into the year, and the music releases keep piling up. For April, our bag packs treats from Eswatini, Lesotho, Angola, Zimbabwe, and beyond. Tap in and make sure to update your listening habits with the awesomeness we have.

Internet Girl - “Treat” (South Africa)

Internet Girl’s sound is an edgy mix of pop-rock, trap, and electronica fed through effect pedals, post-teenage angst, and the fleeting state of youth—all delivered through frontman TK’s raw, unfiltered, emotionally resonant lyrics. “Bhati Ntsika where’s your posi?/ they don’t understand I got divorced parents/ and to my son I’d be the worst parent,” he raps, his voice a fuzzy haze of broken childhood promises and the looming responsibilities of adulthood. Internet Girl is the sound of now.

Jah Prayzah - “Kuno” (Zimbabwe)

Jah Prayzah has carved out many musical bags in the many years he’s been active in music, and he can twist and turn at any point to reveal a different side of his artistry. “Kuno” is the first release from his forthcoming album, Ndini Mukudzeyi. He digs deep to sing his heart out about love, legacy, and the bonds that remain unbroken after life has ended. On “Uzuyi Bheke,” he features South African rapper illRow, who details the struggle one faces when trying to escape street life and go on a straight and narrow path.

Paras Sibalukhulu Dlamini - “Yobe” (South Africa)

On his debut album, Ingoma Busuku, multi-layered vocalist Paras Sibalukhulu Dlamini finds a delicate sweet spot that swings between Zulu vocal traditions advanced by the likes of Shaluza Max and Mbuso Khoza, and an undefined, new territory that he can get to own with time. He also gathers a heavy set of cats to help him advance his vision. Nduduzo Makhathini handles production duties, while a cast of musicians from across South Africa, Switzerland, and France completes the cipher. “Yobe” sets the tone for meditative reflections on spirituality, tradition, and what it means to be an African in the modern age.

Taniâ - “Dioguito” (Angola)

Angolan artist Taniâ updates Bernardo Jorge Bangão’s classic, “Dioguito.” In her hands, the semba classic morphs into a cultural counterpoint that brings the old and new together. Her voice floats effortlessly, while Francisco Alexandre Pedro’s production adds the bounce necessary to keep head bopping.

Dlala Thukzin, Kabza de Small, MK Productions - “Muthi” feat. Zeh McGeba, Masuda (South Africa)

About a month ago, a clip surfaced online featuring Kabza De Small and Dlala Thukzin in the studio, cooking up what one can only imagine to be sizzling bangers. Some of the fruits from that collaboration are featured on 031 Studio Camp 2.0, a refreshing approach to electronic music rooted in a deep understanding of spirituality, and a future-forward mindset unafraid to break new barriers. “Muthi” is sonic alchemy delivered in Dlala Thukzin’s 3-Step grooves, Kabza De Small’s unmistakable baselines, and Zeh McGeba’s reassuring vocals. We might have another song for the summer with this one.

Sarnilo - “Autumn” (Eswatini)

“Autumn leaves are falling, hear me out I’m calling,” sings Eswatini-based artist Sarnilo on her latest release, “Autumn.” In the Tru Hitz-produced song, the artist utilizes her sultry voice to confess her feelings as she glides effortlessly on the song’s gospel chords.

Thope tse Khang - “Lerato” (Lesotho)

Lesotho’s Thope tse Khang are household names, made famous by their daring, provocative lyrics and addictive famo melodies. “Lerato” is taken off their second offering since signing to the Universal Music Group in 2024. Titled Ha E Lume, it’s a four-track collection of the material the group has come to be known for.

Voltz JT - “Crisis” (Zimbabwe)

Voltz JT is an emcee’s emcee. He has the vocal tone to command audiences, and the lyrical content makes him one of the dopest coming from the African continent right now. “Crisis” details the difficulties people from different corners of the world are experiencing right now; salaries don’t increase, only the cost of living does.

K.O - “Pharadise” (feat. Young Stunna)

On ” Pharadise,” revered artist and producer K.O dips into his emotionally charged bag (see: “Skhanda Love,” “Hate Love”) to unearth a beacon of hope for hustlers in the city of Johannesburg. “And my patience is running low; I wanna know,” he raps, taking the position of someone who has to suffer at the hands of these hustlers. Young Stunna, who also appeared on one of K.O’s biggest songs, “Sete,” adds his spiritually-tinged flavor on the chorus, begging and pleading to his creator to give him the power to overcome. “Pharadise” is the last single until his fourth studio album, Phara City, drops this June. In a statement, the rapper described the work as “a mirror held up to our lives, reflecting the raw, beautiful chaos we navigate every day.”

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