Three South African DJs Black Coffee, Nora En Pure and Shimza have been named among the world’s Top 100 DJs, highlighting their international success and how South African music continues to influence the global electronic music scene.
By Zuko Komisa
South Africa continues to make its mark on the global electronic music scene, with Black Coffee, Nora En Pure and Shimza featuring in the latest DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll.
Black Coffee is the highest-ranked South African at No.14, while Nora En Pure sits at No.73 and Shimza enters at No.75, marking his debut on the influential global ranking.
The list, voted for across 234 territories, offers a snapshot of the artists commanding audiences around the world. DJ Mag describes the poll as a reflection of electronic music’s continued evolution, from house and trance to today’s global house, techno and Afro-influenced sounds.
For South Africa, the recognition reflects decades of influence on dance music. Local artists helped reshape house music through distinctly African rhythms, percussion and soulful sounds, laying the foundations for genres including Kwaito, gqom, Afro-house and, more recently, Amapiano.
Few artists have been more instrumental in that journey than Black Coffee. His international career has included major festival appearances, global collaborations and a Grammy win for Subconsciously, making him the first African artist to win Best Dance/Electronic Album.
South African-born DJ and producer Nora En Pure has built a global audience with her signature melodic house sound, performing at major festivals including Coachella and Tomorrowland, while Shimza has become an increasingly prominent ambassador for South African Afro-house.
The significance of their inclusion goes beyond the ranking itself. It reflects a shift in which South African sounds are increasingly influencing global dance music rather than simply being exported to it.
DJ Mag is also partnering with Bridges for Music this year, encouraging Top 100 DJs to support education for young people at its academy in Langa, South Africa.
From house music’s local roots to the global rise of Afro-house and Amapiano, South Africa’s influence on the international dancefloor continues to grow and its DJs are increasingly at the centre of that conversation.
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