From the colorful streets of Ghana to China’s neon-lit alleys, the infectious beats of African music have set off a worldwide dance craze. Further fueled by social media’s hyper-connectivity, choreographed dance challenges are hitting record-breaking global viewership, busting decades-old stereotypes and lighting the Afro-Fusion dance fire for an international audience.
The Digital Spark
Social media shorts platforms — especially TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels have only accelerated this trend worldwide. Energetic dance routines to Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Gqom go viral in seconds, opening the global stage to African creatives in a democratic manner. By-passing local gatekeepers, artists connect directly to an international audience, extending musical outreach.
This dynamic vibe is evident in the online success of Ghanaian talents, such as Afronitaa, whose radiant smile could easily win over a crowd, and the child prodigy Abigail Adjiri. They both left their imprint in the United Kingdom in 2024 – after securing a groundbreaking third-place finish on ‘Britain’s Got Talent.’ The dance duo’s dance routines and mashups went viral on TikTok and YouTube.
Ghana is a hotspot with dance schools like “Dance With A Purpose” (DWP) Academy, cranking out dance challenges. The Academy boasts talented dancers, including Championrolie, renowned for his infectious grin with electrifying steps, Endurance Grande, whose joyful expressions resonate with viewers, and rising star Melissa Nortey, recognized for her dynamic technique.
Meanwhile, choreographers like Dancegod Lloyd, Incredible Zigi and Afrobeast, each known for their own unique and captivating styles are advancing dance challenges around the world through social media.
Other leading dance hubs across Africa, including Dance Centre Kenya (Kenya), Cairo Contemporary Dance Center (Egypt), and Moving Into Dance Mophatong (South Africa), are also nurturing the next generation, with the majority of them becoming online sensations and launching careers through viral content.
The Beat Drops, the World Moves
Viral dance challenges and the strategic choreography on social media create a powerful synergy with African music, propelling it to international fame. Captivating online dances amplify songs, leading to increases in streaming, downloads, and exposures.
An example of this phenomenon is Master KG’s ‘Jerusalema’ [Feat. Nomcebo], one of the most Shazamed songs worldwide. “It is a dance that was done by people from Angola, then Portugal followed and it just went viral from that point,” Master KG noted in an interview with South African newspaper Sowetan. The song’s traction was largely driven by fans uploading their own renditions to video-sharing platforms.
Musicians are increasingly joining forces with dancers to promote their songs on social media. For instance, Kizz Daniel’s “Buga” featuring Tekno was a global smash partly because of a simple viral dance step. Without a publicized connection to commercial dance, the “Buga” dance took off on its own. This viral dance, supported by the Nigerian Afrobeats artist himself, demonstrates the power of dance trends in taking a song to global heights.
Sub-Saharan African music revenue notched a significant 22.6% increase, driven partly by social media engagement, According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s 2024 report.
More Than Entertainment
This tidal wave of dance challenges to African jams offers such a genuine counter-narrative, putting the continent’s cultural genius and creativity on full display. These complex rhythms and dance-stoked stories, prformed by dancers like Dada Masilo (South Africa), and Germaine Acogny (Senegal), facilitate cross cultural conversation through shared movement.
With this synergy in mind, Nigerian dancer Kaffy stated in the Red Bull documentary “(Un)Credited”: “Afrobeats would not have had such an acute success rate [around the world] if dance didn’t accompany it. In fact, dance was the thing that tickled the fancy of the West before the music. People didn’t really know what the music was saying, but people understood a love of movement.”
Now that these dances can be easily learned and taught through the presence of online tutorials, a global community is being formed — all connected by rhythm and movement. This heightened degree of online visibility and connectivity is shaping cultural narratives across Africa. More parents are beginning to value dance and choreography as respectable careers. The stakeholders, however, continue to advocate for the enforcement of equitable industry practices, with creatives receiving credit, and acknowledgment of the cultural differences and nuances.
African Creative Renaissance
This emerging global trend solidifies African cultural diversity and artistic creativity. That is why viral social media stardom gives African artists unprecedented ability to control their own narratives, and increasingly shape culture around the world.
The core position of Ghana brings to the limelight the potential in its creative industry. What it requires is continuous support in the form of investment, collective platforms, intellectual property rights, and equitable access to collaborations at the point of inception.
Stepping Forward on the Global Stage
If African music and dance are going to continue to truly captivate the world sustainably and in the long-term, there must be meaningful engagement, centered around the voices and vision of African artists. Whether viewed in person or online, these viral expressions of creative identity and cultural heritage simultaneously demand critical attention. As the world embraces Africa’s dynamic rhythms and dance steps, their continued evolution will increasingly be shaped by digital platforms.
Written By: Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
