Nontokozo Mkhize’s Esandleni Named South Africa’s Most-Streamed Local Gospel Song on Spotify in 2025

South African gospel artist Nontokozo Mkhize has reached another major milestone after her hit song Esandleni was recognised as the most-streamed local gospel song on Spotify in South Africa for 2025. The achievement highlights the growing popularity of the singer and the strong connection her music has built with audiences across the country. According to reporting on the recognition, Esandleni recorded about 11.7 million streams in South Africa during the 2025 Spotify tracking period, which ran from December 2024 to November 2025. The song also reached number two on both the South African Spotify Daily and Weekly charts, showing that its popularity extended well beyond the gospel category.

Esandleni was released as a single in 2024 and later appeared on Mkhize’s 2025 album Lindiwe. The song has become one of the defining releases of her rapidly developing solo career, with its streaming performance placing it firmly among the country’s most successful contemporary gospel recordings. Spotify’s current artist page continues to list Esandleni as Mkhize’s most popular track, with more than 17 million streams visible on the platform. Its sustained performance is significant because it shows that the song has continued attracting listeners long after its initial release.

The song’s success also reflects Mkhize’s ability to bring gospel music to listeners beyond traditional church audiences. Esandleni combines a worship-focused message with a contemporary musical approach, allowing it to connect with people who may discover gospel music through streaming platforms, playlists and social media. Its strong Spotify performance demonstrates that listeners are actively seeking music that offers faith, encouragement and emotional depth while still fitting naturally into their everyday listening habits. The achievement is particularly notable in a South African music industry where gospel continues to compete for attention alongside amapiano, hip-hop, Afrobeats and other mainstream genres. Mkhize’s results show that a gospel song can achieve significant digital reach without losing the spiritual identity at the centre of its message.

Mkhize’s Spotify performance in 2025 was not limited to Esandleni. She became one of the most visible South African gospel artists on the platform, with multiple songs appearing on the country’s Daily Chart during the year. Reports highlighted tracks including Glory, Siyabonga, Thandolwam, Okubi, Uyama Nomuntu, Ngiyohlala, Moyongcwele and Esandleni. Her ability to place several songs on the charts demonstrated that her popularity was not dependent on a single release. It also showed that listeners were engaging with a wider body of work and following her development as an artist.

Esandleni’s chart history provides further evidence of the song’s strong performance. Spotify chart data shows that the track reached a peak position of number two in South Africa, while several of its strongest weekly performances came during the first months of 2025. The song recorded more than 455,000 streams in one tracked week in January 2025, illustrating the scale of interest it generated during its peak period. It continued to appear on the South African Spotify chart throughout much of 2025, maintaining a substantial audience even as newer releases entered the market. This kind of sustained chart presence can help an artist build long-term recognition rather than relying only on a short-lived viral moment.

The recognition comes at an important stage in Mkhize’s career. She has increasingly established herself as a distinctive voice within South African gospel while also working across contemporary sounds and collaborations. Her music has reached audiences through projects that bring together gospel, soulful production and elements associated with modern South African popular music. This approach has helped her reach listeners who appreciate both the spiritual message of gospel and the production styles shaping current African music. Her work therefore represents part of a broader shift in which gospel artists are using digital platforms to reach audiences directly rather than relying primarily on traditional radio, church performances and physical music sales.

The success of Esandleni also points to the changing role of streaming platforms in South African gospel music. Spotify provides artists with access to detailed listening data and gives songs the opportunity to reach audiences through algorithmic recommendations, editorial playlists and user-created playlists. For emerging artists, strong streaming numbers can create visibility that leads to additional bookings, collaborations and opportunities within the wider music industry. For established artists, streaming success can strengthen their relevance among younger listeners who consume most of their music digitally. Mkhize’s achievement illustrates how these platforms have become an important part of the modern gospel music ecosystem.

The song’s popularity can also be understood within the broader growth of gospel music across Africa. Gospel has continued to expand beyond conventional religious settings, with artists incorporating contemporary production, collaborations and digital distribution into their work. Recent reporting has pointed to rising gospel streaming activity across Sub-Saharan Africa, with South Africa among the markets experiencing strong growth. This environment has created more opportunities for artists such as Mkhize to reach audiences locally and internationally. Her performance with Esandleni shows how South African gospel can remain rooted in faith while participating actively in the wider digital music economy.

Mkhize’s achievement is also important because it places a female South African gospel artist at the centre of a major streaming milestone. Her growing audience demonstrates the demand for contemporary female voices within the gospel genre and highlights the opportunities available to artists who combine musical quality with a clear artistic identity. Esandleni has become a particularly strong example of how a song can move from a local release to a major streaming success through sustained audience engagement. The track’s continued popularity has also strengthened Mkhize’s position as one of the artists shaping the current direction of South African gospel music. Her progress is likely to encourage other emerging artists to invest in original material and develop their digital audiences.

The recognition of Esandleni adds another significant chapter to Mkhize’s career and provides a clear measure of how far her music has travelled. From its release as a single to its inclusion on Lindiwe, the song has developed into one of her signature recordings and a major part of her growing catalogue. Spotify’s current figures continue to show Esandleni ahead of her other popular songs, including Moyongcwele and Uyama Nomuntu, underlining its enduring appeal.

For South African gospel music, the achievement carries significance beyond one artist or one song. Esandleni’s performance shows that gospel music can generate substantial streaming numbers and compete strongly within a crowded digital market. It also confirms that audiences continue to respond to music that combines meaningful themes with contemporary production and accessible distribution. For Nontokozo Mkhize, the milestone strengthens her reputation as a rising force in the genre and gives her career additional momentum as she continues releasing music and collaborating with other artists. As Esandleni continues to reach listeners, its recognition as South Africa’s most-streamed local gospel song on Spotify for 2025 stands as a major achievement in Mkhize’s career and another indication of the growing influence of contemporary South African gospel music.