It’s a chilly Johannesburg morning, the kind that demands a hoodie and threatens rain all afternoon. The weather app was insistent, showers were inevitable. But that doesn’t stop me from heading to Sony Music’s offices where I’m set to meet DJ Maphorisa and Xduppy, the duo behind the freshest Amapiano double drop shaking up speakers from Pretoria to Amsterdam. DJ Maphorisa, a household name in African entertainment, needs no introduction. He’s been shaping the South African music scene for over a decade, from Gqom to Afro-pop, now finding global resonance with Amapiano. Xduppy, on the other hand, is the new wave. Raised in Hammanskraal and cut from the streets of Pretoria, he represents the hunger and hustle of a new generation of producers. As soon as they walk into the room, there’s an immediate shift in energy. Charisma? Check. Confidence? Overflowing. These are two artists who know exactly what they’re doing, and they’re eager to let you in on it.
You’ve probably already caught wind of the new releases: Ngomoya and Rough Dance, a pair of albums as distinct as they are connected. Think of them as two sides of the same musical coin. Ngomoya brings the soul: it’s what you play when you’re wrapped in a blanket with incense burning and the city hums quietly outside. Rough Dance? That’s for the streets. It’s festival fuel, built to rattle bass bins and move bodies. Was this duality intentional?
“We wanted to accommodate both fan bases,” says Maphorisa, with a smile. “Those who want calm-soulful Piano, and those who want to party. So we gave them both.”
This kind of bold experimentation didn’t come out of nowhere. Their creative process? Fluid. Spontaneous. One day it’s smooth, layered chords for Ngomoya, the next it’s gritty, high-BPM isgubhu for Rough Dance. “We didn’t follow a structure,” adds Xduppy. “It was just about feeling. We’d vibe, switch styles, switch moods. It kept things fresh.”
And this chemistry between them? It didn’t take years to build, it sparked instantly. Maphorisa met Xduppy through Myztro another distinguished tastemaker in the Amapiano scene.“I heard his track, ‘Bhebha,’ and I was impressed,” he recalls. “Then he pulled up to the studio, and I realized this guy isn’t one-dimensional. He can even produce hip-hop. He makes production easy.”
Xduppy, still in the early stages of his career, is under no illusion about the value of this mentorship. “Working with Phori means I learn something every day,” he says. “It’s refreshing. It’s humbling.”
And now? They’re sitting on a vault of unreleased music. Fifty tracks deep. Ready to drop at any moment.“Honestly, we have so many songs in the vault we could release another album tomorrow,” DJ Maphorisa laughs. “We’re always creating.”
I asked DJ Maphorisa why South African producers continue to dominate air waves on the continent, and he does not hesitate in his response. “Honestly? It’s Fruity Loops,” he laughs. “Everyone can access Fruity Loops. That software changed our lives. Every neighbourhood has a producer now. There’s this hunger. You see someone from your area winning, and you want in.”
He continues, “In South Africa, DJs and producers work hand in hand. It’s a cycle, producers create, DJs test it live, the crowd responds, and the sound evolves instantly. I swear, in the next two months, I’ll discover a new producer, whether it’s from this province or the next. With YouTube tutorials and internet access, nothing is impossible.”
“During lockdown, Amapiano exploded, platforms like TikTok helped a lot. Now it’s a culture. We’ve built a global family.”
But let’s zoom out. These projects carry the sound of Pretoria, exposing South African culture to the globe. Amapiano has broken new ground, making space for itself in DJ sets all over the globe. It doesn’t matter whether you are in Johannesburg or London, you can hear it, feel it, dance to it. “During lockdown, Amapiano exploded,” Maphorisa tells me. “And platforms like TikTok helped a lot. Now it’s a culture. We’ve built a global family.”
It’s a thrilling time to be an artist in South Africa. According to Spotify’s latest Loud & Clear report, the local music scene is booming, South African artists earned close to R 400 million (approximately USD$21 million) in royalties from the platform in 2024 alone, more than double what they made just two years ago.
So where exactly is Amapiano headed? If you ask Xduppy, it’s only just getting started. “It’s going to take over the world,” he says. “You can fuse it with anything. I want to show the world South African talent and also create my own distinct sound.”
Maphorisa agrees, but he’s measured and moving strategically. “The genre’s already expanding across the continent. “We had key moments,” Maphorisa explains. “When Kabza dropped King of Amapiano and had Burna Boy and Wizkid on the same track that changed everything. Nigeria started vibing. Then Tanzania caught on with Diamond, Harmonize and Rayvanny. Everyone’s adding their spice, but it’s still Amapiano at its core. In Nigeria, Tanzania, even the UK. The underground really pushed the sound.
Maphorisa agrees, but he’s measured and moving strategically. “The genre’s already expanding across the continent. “We had key moments,” Maphorisa explains. “When Kabza dropped King of Amapiano and had Burna Boy and Wizkid on the same track that changed everything. Nigeria started vibing. Then Tanzania caught on with Diamond, Harmonize and Rayvanny. Everyone’s adding their spice, but it’s still Amapiano at its core. In Nigeria, Tanzania, even the UK. The underground really pushed the sound.
He leans forward, eyes sharp. “But we want to grow it authentically. Through collaboration. We’re also learning how to manage better, how to move smart internationally. There’s a lot we still need to understand to take over the world. But we’re getting there.” Both albums, Ngomoya and Rough Dance, serve as case studies in this mission. Each track is a conversation with the past and a handshake with the future.
" Amapiano is going to take over the world,” “You can fuse it with anything. I want to show the world South African talent and also create my own distinct sound.”
Reflecting on his longevity, the hunger to evolve is what’s kept Maphorisa on the top of the game for decades. “Music, like soccer, has a lifespan,” he says. “You have to make the most of your time. I learn from the kids, they come up with new techniques every day. You can’t stay in one space for too long. Adapt, collaborate, and never stop moving.”
Bringing this mentality to the studio Maphorisa has grown from strength to strength with each release. Less than 10 days after their release, Ngomoya and Rough Dance have distinguished themselves as masterclasses in collaboration and production. Whether it’s the hometown bounce of “Dlala Ka Yona” or the spiritual resonance of “Ukuphumula,” the pair pull in artists from across the Amapiano spectrum with features from Amapiano’s all-stars. “We’re in the studio every week,” says Maphorisa. “One day it’s Focalistic, next day MaWhoo. We are a big family, and I like to keep relationships. Those relationships are what makes the collaborations possible.”
So what should you take away from Ngomoya and Rough Dance? “Enjoy the music,” says Xduppy. “Whatever your vibe is, chilled or hype there’s something here for you.”
Ngomoya and Rough Dance are now available on all streaming platforms.
