Spotify’s latest listening data for June 2026 shows the 18–24 age group accounted for 53.7% of all streams in Nairobi, the highest share among the three African cities analysed by the streaming platform. The same demographic generated 44.4% of streams in Lagos and 29.9% in Johannesburg, highlighting Nairobi as one of Spotify’s youngest and most engaged urban markets on the continent.
The figures, released ahead of Spotify’s Greasy Tunes Nairobi programme scheduled for July 15–26, suggest Kenya’s Gen Z is broadening its listening habits rather than rallying around a single dominant genre.
The data also shows that more than half of all Spotify streams in Nairobi now come from listeners aged between 18 and 24, underscoring Kenya’s growing role in Africa’s digital entertainment economy as Gen Z embraces an increasingly diverse mix of music genres and podcasts.
Dancehall emerged as the fastest-growing genre among Kenyan listeners aged 18 to 24, recording 95% year-on-year growth. Tanzania’s bongo flava followed with a 75% increase, while Nairobi-born gengetone expanded by 48%.
One of the report’s more notable findings is the continued growth of gospel music among young listeners. Gospel streams increased 37% year on year, about six times the growth recorded by drill music at 6% pointing to a listening culture that increasingly blends faith-based and mainstream entertainment rather than treating them as separate audiences.
South African genre amapiano maintained its momentum in Kenya with 34% growth, while Afrobeats, R&B and afropop also posted gains of 25%, 28% and 21%, respectively.
Rather than replacing one genre with another, the data suggests streaming is enabling young listeners to consume a broader range of music simultaneously, reflecting the personalized, on-demand nature of digital platforms.
Spotify’s data also highlights a widening generational gap in music preferences. Among Kenyan listeners aged 18 to 24, deep house, jazz, classic country and Congolese rumba all attracted proportionally fewer streams than they did among the broader listening population.
The report offers insight into how streaming is becoming embedded throughout the day. Nearly 40% of Gen Z listening takes place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., while another 30.5% occurs between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Even during the early morning hours of 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., listeners aged 18 to 24 account for 55% of all Spotify streams in Nairobi.
The data also points to growing demand for spoken-word content. Nairobi’s Gen Z podcast audience is 2.5 times larger than Lagos’ and 1.7 times larger than Johannesburg’s, with Arts, Society & Culture, Comedy and Health & Fitness emerging as the leading podcast categories.
For Spotify, the figures reinforce Kenya’s importance as a key digital entertainment market where young consumers are driving engagement across both music and podcasts. The country’s youthful, mobile-first audience has made streaming an increasingly central part of everyday entertainment, creating opportunities for artists, creators and advertisers seeking to reach digitally connected consumers.
“Greasy Tunes Nairobi brings the data to life by showing how young Kenyans actually listen: across genres, across formats, and across the social moments that shape the city,” said Agnes Opondo, Artist and Label Partnerships for East Africa at Spotify. “Over 12 days, we are creating space for artists, communities, food, conversation and sound to meet in one programme, reflecting Nairobi’s energy as a culture hub where music is not just streamed, but experienced together.”
The latest figures reinforce Nairobi’s position as one of Africa’s fastest-growing streaming markets, where Gen Z is not only driving overall consumption but also shaping a more diverse, multi-genre digital listening culture.