NAIROBI, Kenya — Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy says Kenya is emerging as one of Africa’s most important digital music markets as local streaming consumption and demand for African content continue to grow rapidly.
Speaking during an interview at Spotify’s Loud & Clear event in Johannesburg, the Spotify executive said African audiences have exceeded expectations in both engagement and willingness to pay for streaming services.
Muhutu-Remy, who currently serves as Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, said one of her biggest surprises over the past five years has been the depth of digital content consumption across the continent despite economic challenges.
“We make assumptions about Africa because of data costs and economic realities,” she said. “But the engagement levels have been extremely deep. People make trade-offs because music and podcasts matter in their lives.”
Kenya emerging as a key market
Muhutu-Remy described Kenya as one of Spotify’s top priority markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
She cited the country’s youthful population, rapid digital adoption, and expanding internet access as key drivers behind the growth.
“Kenya is extremely digitally savvy. Young people adopt technology very quickly,” she said.
She added that local music consumption in Kenya has grown significantly in recent years. Initially, streaming habits were dominated by international music. However, Kenyan audiences are now increasingly embracing local genres and hyper-local sounds.
“We’re seeing Kenyan pride rising strongly. Local music consumption has grown significantly,” she noted.
According to Spotify, South African artists alone generated more than Sh3.9 billion in royalties on the platform in 2025.
Muhutu-Remy said the wider African music economy is now attracting increasing attention from governments and international financial institutions.
She pointed to growing investments from institutions such as the African Export-Import Bank, International Finance Corporation, and African Development Bank.
Royalty misconceptions
However, the Spotify executive said major structural challenges still exist within Africa’s creative ecosystem.
She identified weak copyright protections, struggling collective management organisations, and limited payment integrations as some of the biggest obstacles affecting artists.
“If I had a magic wand, I would ensure music royalty organisations function transparently and efficiently across the continent,” she said.
Muhutu-Remy also challenged common misconceptions surrounding streaming royalties.
She explained that Spotify payments are based on market share rather than a fixed amount per stream. Subscription pricing, she added, varies across countries to reflect affordability levels.
“You cannot charge someone in Nakuru the same subscription fee as somebody in Europe,” she said.
According to her, many artists still misunderstand how streaming revenue is distributed.
“When fans pay, artists get paid. That understanding still needs to improve,” she added.
Future of African music
Looking ahead, Muhutu-Remy said Spotify’s long-term success in Africa would not only depend on global hits but also on whether local artists can sustainably earn from culturally rooted music.
“For me, success is when someone can sing Benga in Dholuo and still make a sustainable living from it,” she said.
She added that Africa’s digital future remains promising as local audiences increasingly support homegrown content and streaming adoption continues to expand across the continent.
