Burna Boy overtakes Wizkid as Africa's best-selling artist in streaming era
Burna Boy has surpassed Wizkid to become the best-selling African artist of all time in the modern streaming era, with 14.46 million equivalent album units according to ChartMasters. Wizkid follows closely with 14.4 million units, while Algerian legend Cheb Khaled still leads overall with an estimated 81 million physical and career units sold worldwide. In another milestone, Burna Boy became the first African artist to surpass 800 million monthly listeners on YouTube Music.
This milestone underscores the growing dominance of African acts in global streaming markets and highlights the shift from physical sales to digital consumption as the primary measure of musical success. It also signals rising international demand for Afrobeats and African music more broadly, potentially opening doors for more collaborations, tours, and investment in the continent’s music industry.
With streaming numbers now defining success, will upcoming African artists prioritize digital platforms over traditional album releases, and how might this shift affect the future of music production and distribution across Africa?