Nairobi is Africa’s most Gen Z-driven music streaming city, with more than half of all Spotify streams in the Kenyan capital now coming from listeners aged 18 to 24.
Spotify’s new listening data for June 2026 shows that the 18–24 age group accounted for 53.7% of all streams in Nairobi, the highest share among three major African cities. In comparison, that same age bracket generated 44.4% of streams in Lagos and 29.9% in Johannesburg.
The results also highlight Kenya’s expanding influence in Africa’s digital music industry. While Nigeria and South Africa remain Spotify’s largest markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya has steadily grown into the region’s third-largest market. Even so, Nairobi stands out for Gen Z engagement, with young listeners making up a bigger proportion of streams than in either Lagos or Johannesburg.
Spotify released the figures ahead of its Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme, scheduled for July 15–July 26, which will celebrate the city’s music, food, and creative culture.
Spotify’s latest findings indicate that Kenya’s youngest adults are streaming in ways that differ from earlier generations.
Instead of clustering around a single genre, Gen Z listeners in Kenya are creating playlists that combine local, regional and international music. This approach reflects how personalised streaming platforms have become.
Among listeners aged 18 to 24, dancehall posted the fastest growth, rising 95% year-on-year. Tanzania’s bongo flava followed with 75% growth, while Kenya’s home-grown gengetone continued to gather momentum, increasing by 48%.
The report also pointed to a sharp rise in gospel music. It grew 37% among young listeners, at a pace roughly six times faster than drill music, which recorded growth of 6%.
Overall, the figures suggest that many young Kenyans feel comfortable combining faith-based music with mainstream entertainment, rather than treating the two as separate worlds.
South Africa’s amapiano remained popular, growing by 34%. R&B followed with 28% growth, while Afrobeats rose by 25% and Afropop gained 21%.
Spotify said the trend goes beyond swapping one genre for another. It noted that Gen Z listeners increasingly consume a wide range of music at the same time, which encourages discovery across cultures and styles through streaming platforms.
The report also found that popular podcast categories among young Kenyans include Arts, Society and Culture, Comedy, and Health and Fitness. Spotify said this points to rising interest in spoken-word content alongside music.
Spotify’s data further shows how deeply streaming fits into daily routines. Nearly 40% of Gen Z listening happens between 10am and 4pm, suggesting many people stream while studying, working, or commuting. Another 30.5% occurs from 5pm to 10pm. Even during early-morning hours from 2am to 5am, listeners aged 18 to 24 account for 55% of Spotify streams in Nairobi.
The findings also point to a widening generational gap in music tastes. Spotify reported that genres such as deep house, jazz, classic country, and Congolese rumba attracted a smaller share of streams from listeners aged 18 to 24 than they did from the broader Spotify audience.
Spotify attributed the shift to changing discovery habits among young listeners, who increasingly rely on streaming, personalised recommendations, and social media rather than traditional radio.
Commenting on the findings, Agnes Opondo, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Lead for East Africa, said the upcoming Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme will mirror how young Kenyans experience music today.
“Greasy Tunes Nairobi brings the data to life by showing how young Kenyans actually listen: across genres, across formats, and across the social moments that shape the city,” she said.
“Over 12 days, we are creating space for artists, communities, food, conversation and sound to meet in one programme, reflecting Nairobi’s energy as a culture hub where music is not just streamed, but experienced together.”
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