From Lagos to Nairobi: Spotify Reveals How African Friends Are Staying Connected Through Music

Graphic displaying Nigerian music icons Asake, Tems, Wizkid, and Rema as the most added artists on shared Spotify playlists in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As more Africans move across cities, countries, and continents for work, study, and new opportunities, staying connected with friends has become far more intentional. This International Friendship Week, Spotify is celebrating the many ways music continues to bridge the distance, creating shared moments even when friends are kilometres apart.

New Spotify data reveals the scale of this trend across Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 128,000 friendship-themed playlists have been created and shared between friends, with over 82,000 featuring “friend” or “friends” in the title and another 14,000+ dedicated simply to “besties.” This shows that for many Africans, a playlist has become more than just a collection of songs—it is a way of saying, “I’m thinking of you.”

Spotify data graphic showing that over 14,000 Sub-Saharan African playlists are dedicated to besties.

Friendships are becoming increasingly collaborative, too. Across the region, friends have created over 1,300 collaborative playlists, building shared soundtracks one song at a time. Features like Spotify Blend, which merges two friends’ music tastes into a custom playlist, and Spotify Jam, which allows friends to listen together in real time from anywhere, are making geographical distance feel a little smaller.

The soundtracks themselves remain deeply rooted in African culture. Local hits such as Mario Kart, Me & U, Chanel, Remember, How Are You (My Friend), and Doha feature prominently in friendship playlists alongside fan-favourite artists including Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Omah Lay, Seyi Vibez, Tems, Wizkid, Asake, Rema, Tyla, Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa, Kelvin Momo, Babalwa M, and Sipho Gumede.

Spotify graphic confirming that more than 128,000 friendship-themed playlists have been created across Sub-Saharan Africa.

At the same time, these shared playlists reach far beyond the continent. Global tracks like Back to Friends by Sombr, We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love) by Ariana Grande, and Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish also rank high, capturing the nostalgia and emotion that come with missing the people who matter most. Together, these playlists show that whether it is an African anthem or an international chart-topper, music has become the language of modern friendship.

For a generation navigating friendships across different time zones and busy schedules, playlists act as ongoing conversations. One friend adds a track before bed in Johannesburg or Lagos, and another discovers it on their morning commute in Nairobi or Accra. Without needing to be online at the same time, they continue sharing memories and emotions through sound.

This International Friendship Week, the message is clear: distance has not weakened African friendships—it has simply transformed how we stay connected. Increasingly, that connection begins with a playlist.

Spotify infographic highlighting major African songs including Mario Kart, Me and U, Chanel, and Doha featured on friendship playlists.

Infographic showing that over 1,300 collaborative playlists have been created by friends across Sub-Saharan Africa on Spotify.

Official Spotify graphic illustrating that over 82,000 playlists in Sub-Saharan Africa include friendship-related terms in their titles.