From townships to TikTok, South Africa's amapiano gets the world dancing
- Amapiano dancers across South Africa are helping a sound born in the country's black townships reach audiences far beyond its borders – one viral challenge at a time.
- Short routines filmed in homes, schools and public spaces are spreading across social media, giving musicians another way to promote a genre that's now a global hit.
- Issued on: 13/09/2026 - 14:18 3 min Reading time Amapiano, whose name means “the pianos” in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official languages, blends elements of deep house, jazz and kwaito, an earlier local style.
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- Amapiano dancers across South Africa are helping a sound born in the country's black townships reach audiences far beyond its borders – one viral challenge at a time.
- Short routines filmed in homes, schools and public spaces are spreading across social media, giving musicians another way to promote a genre that's now a global hit.
- Issued on: 13/09/2026 - 14:18 3 min Reading time Amapiano, whose name means “the pianos” in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official languages, blends elements of deep house, jazz and kwaito, an earlier local style.
Sources: RFI