Right now, somewhere in Lagos, Johannesburg, or Nairobi, a kid is uploading a beat that could blow up in Berlin, London, or Paris. Meanwhile, Cape Town artists are still asking if they need to leave home to be heard. Here’s the thing: they don’t. The African music industry isn’t just having a moment – it is the moment.
It’s 7:45pm and you’re three songs into your set when a waiter drops a tray of shooters in the front row. A birthday group hoots mid-verse. You finish your song. Nobody claps. Welcome to the gig you thought was a show.
If a band delivers a world-class set to a crowd that could comfortably fit in your lounge, does it still count? At Trenchtown on Friday night, Brazilian groove-masters Blue Mar didn’t just count—they converted, turning a modest turnout into a masterclass in musical joy.
When Johannesburg’s sold-out Camomile Live series finally lands in Cape Town this June, it won’t just be another gig to fill your winter calendar. It’s the latest chapter in a much bigger experiment: What happens when an artist stops trying to fit Cape Town’s music scene and instead makes Cape Town come to him?
If your music is getting airplay, streams, or gigs – but your bank account isn’t seeing the love – you’re not alone. Welcome to the maddening maze of South Africa’s music rights organisations: SAMRO, CAPASSO, and SAMPRA.
Imagine being in debt for a festival ticket. That’s the reality now; we’re buying vibes on lay-by and financing joy like it’s a washing machine. This is the reality for many South Africans who’ve started financing not just essentials, but enjoyment. In Cape Town, with its skyline of rising costs and shrinking dreams, even a night of music comes with a payment plan.
You see the poster. You send it to your friend with a “This looks cool!” And then… nothing. No ticket bought, no commitment made. Maybe you’ll decide on the day. Maybe the weather will suck. Maybe you’re broke. Or maybe, like so many Capetonians, you’re waiting to see if “something better” pops up.
Welcome to Cape Town’s last-minute ticket culture—where hesitation isn’t just a personal habit, it’s becoming a collective obstacle to a thriving live music scene.
Every album is “a triumph.” Every gig “an unforgettable night.” If you read most music journalism today, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re living through a golden age of perfection. But we’re not—we’re just not being honest. Music journalism has gotten too soft, and it’s failing the very people it’s meant to serve.
Walk into the basement of The Athletic Club & Social any night from a Wednesday to a Saturday, and you’ll find a crowd that looks more like a Boiler Room audience than your grandpa’s jazz club. Young people hunched over Negronis, heads nodding, bodies swaying, fully locked in. This is jazz—but not as the world once knew it. This is jazz with an edge, a bounce, a future. Welcome to Cape Town: one of the new jazz capitals of Africa and the world that, frankly, has been carrying the spirit all along.
Newest single by Teagan, ‘Lock You Down’, hits like a ray of December sunshine—a track that somehow feels both deeply familiar and refreshingly original. The Cape Town-based singer-songwriter has found a sweet spot between glossy pop hooks and the airy, upbeat sensibilities of amapiano. This isn’t just another throwaway summer tune; it’s a layered piece that radiates confidence, underscored by warm percussion and a chorus that practically begs you to sing along while dancing barefoot under the sun.
