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It is no secret that Hallyu (the Korean wave) has become a worldwide sensation. In fact, you can see real proof of this when K-Pop artists and K-Drama actors announce their world tour stops. However, there are still some regions in the world full of Hallyu fans who have yet to receive the same recognition as other regions.
For one, South Africa has a Hallyu fan culture that is steadily (if not exponentially) expanding. K-Pop, K-Dramas, K-Food, and K-Beauty are becoming more and more popular thanks to their endearing impact. South Africa has also contributed to Hallyu in its own way. From influencing K-Pop songs through a South African genre to a South African choreographer choreographing a top girl group's comeback, and more. As such, South Africa and Hallyu are becoming more closely intertwined.
Additionally, South Africa has a deep history with South Korea. Having celebrated the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2022, a number of commemorative events were held last year in honor of the 3-decade-long relationship, as well.
Today, let's take a look at how close the cultural exchange between South Africa and South Korea is. We'll take a look at how Hallyu has grown in South Africa and where it stands today, too.
South Africa is One of the Top Markets for K-Pop in Sub-Saharan Africa
South Africa has been dubbed the top market for K-Pop in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the rankings, South Africa has the biggest market for K-Pop followed by Kenya and Nigeria, respectively.
"There's been a 93% year-on-year increase in K-Pop streams in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, accounted for by over 3 billion hours of streaming. It's clear from this data that K-Pop is not just a passing phase but has a devoted and growing African fandom"
- Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The most popular K-Pop group in South Africa is BTS with artists like BLACKPINK, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, and recently NewJeans in the top ranks, as well.
"Streaming has become instrumental in not only enabling the discovery of African music abroad but also in exposing African listeners to new and unexpected sounds." - Phiona Okumu
More and more South Africans have been steadily discovering the charm of K-Pop music in recent years.
South Africa's Influence on K-Pop
South African Music Genres Featured in K-Pop Songs and Choreography
BTS' popularity in South Africa particularly picked up around their "Love Yourself: Answer" era (2018) when the title track 'IDOL' was released. As mentioned above, African and South African music has also been gaining exposure abroad.
As such, 'IDOL' became a hit in South Africa as local fans took pride in its musical influences. The melody/beat of 'IDOL' is inspired by a South African house genre called 'gqom' which can be identified by the varied rhythmic beat and whistles.
Additionally, the song featured a classic South African dance move called the 'gwara gwara'.
When the music video was released, fans couldn't get enough of the fact that South Africa was being acknowledged in the world of K-Pop.
On top of that, the song in itself allowed more South Africans to explore K-Pop as it received a lot of radio play thanks to the cultural crossover.
Of course, in 2022, it has become more and more common to hear K-Pop on the radio airways in the country, but at the time it was a bit uncommon. You could say that aside from PSY's 'Gangnam Style', this was one of the songs that jumpstarted K-Pop radio play in South Africa.
The First South African Choreographer to Choreograph A K-Pop Group's Comeback
Another way that South Africa has influenced K-Pop through choreography is through ITZY's 'SNEAKERS' comeback in 2022.
'SNEAKERS' was choreographed by none other than the famous Capetonian choreographer Rudi Smit. He is the first South African choreographer to ever choreograph for a K-Pop group!
In fact, this is not his first rodeo being recognized for his dance abilities by K-Pop artists.
His dance video of Jessi's 'Zoom' was also liked by Jessi herself on Instagram! Thereafter, it went viral and, as a result, JYP saw the video and reached out to him to choreograph for ITZY.
In an interview, Rudi Smit shared that he was inspired by the song and its whimsical mood. The choreography process wasn't easy but worth it.
"Getting into the K-Pop industry is not easy at all and no other South African choreographer has ever choreographed for a K-Pop group. So, this is a huge huge victory for me and I am so proud." - Rudi Smit, Capetonian choreographer
He also revealed that 'SNEAKERS' was his second K-Pop choreography gig and that the first would be revealed later on.
Hallyu's Growth in South Africa
The First K-Pop Group To Perform In South Africa
Recently, South African K-Pop fans achieved a great feat. The boy group MustB became the first K-Pop boy group to perform in South Africa at the Cape Town "K-Wave Festa" event. The show also featured performances from the stage show "Nanta" and the b-boy dance team Jinjo Crew. The event was held in honor of the two countries' 30th anniversary as diplomatic partners. Many fans were excited by the announcement and went out to support the performers.
MustB's performance has particularly gotten South African fans wondering which K-Pop groups will start venturing to South Africa next. Hopefully, South Africa and other African countries can look forward to seeing their names on K-Pop group world tour posters more frequently soon!
The Increase of Interest in K-Dramas From the General Public
K-Dramas are another piece of Korean pop culture becoming popular in South Africa. Thanks to streaming and OTT platforms, they have become accessible globally and easier to watch.
Netflix is currently one of the most popular streaming platforms for K-Dramas in South Africa and many other countries worldwide. In South Africa, the selection of Netflix K-Dramas ranges from Netflix originals to older broadcast dramas that are on the must-watch lists of many enthusiastic K-Drama lovers.
Especially in recent years, many K-Dramas have been reaching great success on Netflix globally. This is still exciting in some regards. For example, for South African K-Drama lovers, it is always a pleasant surprise to see Korean dramas, films, and other shows in the Netflix Top 10 ranking for the day or week.
For instance, recently, the K-Film "JUNG_E" secured itself as the 9th most-watched film on Netflix in South Africa for 2023 so far (as of February 2, 2023). The K-Reality show "Physical: 100" is also currently popular in the country, having trended on the Netflix Top 10 ranking a couple of times in the past few weeks.
Check out a table of the top-ranking Korean productions on Netflix in South Africa from 2022 to the present.
Note: Weeks where no Korean productions made the Netflix Top 10 ranking have not been included in the chart below. The numbers in the table represent the ranking of those series/movies in the Netflix Top 10 for that week.
Kpopmap
Kpopmap
Kpopmap
Looking at this data, you can see that K-Dramas such as "Young Lady and Gentleman" and "All of Us Are Dead" had quite a long streak in the Netflix top 10 in 2022. They managed to be in the top 10 most-watched shows in South Africa week after week.
These long streaks and the variety of K-Media productions that are getting included in top rankings are only proof of the increasing interest in K-Media from the general public of South Africa.
The Rise of Total Interest in Korean Culture Thanks To Events
Aside from the increasing interest in K-Pop and K-Dramas, every aspect of Korean Culture has become popular over the years. Thanks to events hosted by The Embassy of the Republic of South Korea (in Pretoria, Gauteng) and the Korean Cultural Centre South Africa (also in Pretoria, Gauteng), more and more locals have been discovering the charm of Korean culture.
Events such as the annual "Korean Food and Film Festival" and several other events/workshops have heightened interest in K-Food, K-Beauty, Korean calligraphy, Korean traditional instruments, and more. These events are mostly held in South Africa's bustling big cities Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.
These events usually showcase several Korean products, feature K-Pop dance crew performances, have hanbok photo zones, taekwondo demonstrations, and more.
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Some events even make a special effort to show the connection between South Korean and South African culture. Below, you can see a photo from an event called "Culture Connected" that was held in honor of a cultural crossover between the two countries.
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This article is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing the passion South Africans are developing for all things K. Hopefully this passion will be recognized soon and lead to acknowledgment from the world of Korean entertainment, translating into more opportunities for Hallyu lovers and fans in South Africa.
What is the Hallyu scene like in your country? Let us know in the comments!
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