South Africa’s music, radio and podcasts market is set to grow from R8.0bn in 2025 to R10.6bn in 2030, according to a new PwC report.
The figures come from PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Outlook 2026 to 2030. The report looks at South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. PwC said the three countries are starting from different places, so there is no single growth model for Africa.
“Compelling content, creativity, culture and shared experiences remain at the heart of our industry,” said Charles Stuart, PwC’s Africa Entertainment and Media Leader.
Stuart said AI and other technology are changing how entertainment is made, shared and sold. He said companies should use these tools while keeping people at the centre.
Local artists are a big part of the music growth in South Africa. PwC said local musicians made up 70% of the ten most streamed artists in the country in 2025.
The report also looks at internet access. By 2030, PwC expects 5G subscription penetration to reach 86.8% in South Africa. The forecast is 51.6% for Kenya and 35.3% for Nigeria.
PwC said fixed broadband is growing faster than mobile services in all three markets. According to the report, this helps streaming, gaming and connected television.
“As connectivity becomes faster, more reliable and more accessible, the opportunity is increasingly about how businesses use this growing connectivity to reach new consumers,” said Nana Madikane, PwC’s Africa Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Leader.
Online video is one of the fastest growing areas. PwC forecasts that streaming video revenue in South Africa will grow by 7.6% a year on average until 2030.
Growth is faster in the other two countries. The report expects 15.9% yearly growth in Kenya and 20.4% in Nigeria.
PwC said traditional television revenue is falling in South Africa. In Kenya and Nigeria, traditional television is still growing, but more slowly than streaming.
Gaming is another area of growth. PwC said all three countries are expected to grow faster than the global gaming market up to 2030.
Nigeria leads the group. Its gaming revenue is forecast to rise from US$286m in 2025 to US$431m in 2030. Social and casual games made up 77% of Nigeria’s gaming market in 2025, which PwC linked to the wide use of smartphones.
The report also covers cinema. Nigeria’s cinema revenue is expected to grow from US$10m in 2025 to US$29m by 2030. Local films made up almost half of Nigeria’s box office revenue in 2025.
PwC said AI could help more African creators, languages and stories reach audiences at home and abroad. The firm said rights, privacy, transparency and human oversight will remain important as AI use grows in the industry.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Soko Directory. Image: Soko Directory. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.