Label
100COPIES
Cairo record label and music space founded in 2006 by Mahmoud Refaat, an early backer of Egyptian mahraganat; acquired by Reservoir Media and PopArabia in 2022.
Cairo, Egypt
100copies.bandcamp.com
Directory
Label
Labels, distributors, publishers, studios, promoters and platforms working across African music. Listings are editorial and free, and every one is checked against its sources before it appears.
- 424 companies
- 13 categories
- 49 markets
Label
A.I Records Kenya Limited
Nairobi record company holding a catalogue of East African recordings, 70 per cent owned by Universal Music Group since 2018.
Nairobi, Kenya
Label
Afrotainment
Durban-based South African record label founded in 2007 by DJ Tira, known for launching gqom and kwaito acts including Big Nuz and Distruction Boyz.
Durban, South Africa
afrotainment.co.za
Label
Ambitiouz Entertainment
Independent South African label founded in Johannesburg in 2015 by Kgosi Mahumapelo.
Johannesburg, South Africa
ambitiouz.co.za
Label
Anolabex
South African registered company credited as exclusive licensor on the late Riky Rick's Sony Music Africa releases; ownership unconfirmed.
Rivonia, Gauteng, South Africa
Label
BahdGuys Entertainment
Falz's own recording imprint; no independent company registration or website located.
Nigeria
Label
Black Avenue Muzik
Ghanaian independent record label founded in Accra in 2009 by D-Black.
Accra, Ghana
blackavenuegroup.com
Label
Blaqboy Music Corporation (Pty) Ltd
South African record label founded by DJ Maphorisa, operated as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment Africa.
South Africa
Label
Blowtime Entertainment
Lagos recording imprint launched under Mavin Records in 2019 by producer Baby Fresh, home to Crayon until 2025.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
Blue Note Africa
Jazz imprint launched 2022 by Blue Note Records and Universal Music Africa to sign African jazz talent.
South Africa
Label
Bokone Music
South African record label built around founder Don Laka's own catalogue, formed after Kalawa Jazmee's 2001 split; releases have gone out under licence to majors rather than through its own distribution.
South Africa
Label
Cartel Music
Nigerian record label and imprint founded by artist Tekno in 2019, now a joint venture with Mr Eazi's emPawa Africa.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
CashTime Life
Defunct South African record label, publishing and management company (2013-2018) founded by rapper K.O in Johannesburg, home of the CashTime Fam hip-hop collective.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Label
CCP Records Company (Pty) Ltd
South African record label and Brenda Fassie's historic home, now a legacy catalogue imprint wholly owned by Universal Music Group.
Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
Label
Chocolate City Group
Nigerian music group founded in Abuja in 2005, spanning label, management, publishing, distribution and events.
Lagos, Nigeria
chocolatecitygroup.com
Distributor
Cinq Music Group
Los Angeles record label and distributor, a GoDigital Media Group subsidiary, with African deals including King98, D'Banj's catalogue and Soul HQ.
Los Angeles, United States
cinqmusic.com
Label
CKay Holdings LLC
Lagos-founded rights-holding entity behind Nigerian artist CKay's recordings since his split from Warner Music Africa.
Lagos, Nigeria
ckay-music.com
Label
Coleske Group Proprietary Ltd.
Pretoria-based Afrikaans-repertoire record label and live-events company, independent from 1996 until Warner Music South Africa acquired it in 2021.
Pretoria, South Africa
coleskeartistmanagement.com
Label
CRG
A technology-driven Ethiopian record label in Addis Ababa, owned by tech company 2F Capital, with a roster of over 100 Ethiopian artists.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
crg-et.com
Label
Dangbana Republik
Independent Nigerian label founded by Bella Shmurda in 2021; no company registration or website located.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
Dapper Group
Lagos entertainment conglomerate founded in 2018 by Damilola Akinwunmi, spanning a record label, publisher, live-events arm and music-video house.
Lagos, Nigeria
dappermusicent.com
Label
Dapper Music
Lagos record label, the flagship of Nigeria's founder-owned Dapper Group.
Lagos, Nigeria
dappermusicent.com
Label
Dapper Music & Entertainment
Record label of Dapper Group, home over the years to Shallipopi, Seyi Vibez and T.I Blaze.
Lagos, Nigeria
dappermusicent.com
Label
Davido Music Worldwide
Davido's Nigerian record label, founded 2016 and headquartered in Lekki, Lagos.
Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
dmwhq.com
Label
Def Jam Recordings
Hip-hop and R&B label under Universal Music Group, active in Africa via the 2020 Def Jam Africa division and a 2022 joint venture with Lagos/UK-based NATIVE Records.
New York, United States
defjam.com
Label
Def Jam Recordings North Africa
Universal Music Group's Def Jam label division for the Maghreb, headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, since June 2026.
Casablanca, Morocco
universalmusicmena.com
Label
DM Records Limited
Lagos-based imprint of Nigerian artist Timaya, CAC-registered, releasing his catalogue since 2007.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
Dove Records
Nigerian record label founded by producer Nelson Brown, home to Plantashun Boiz from 2000 until the group split in 2004.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
Emazulwini Production and Projects (Pty) Ltd
South African record company owned by Nomcebo Zikode, formed after her dispute with Open Mic Productions over Jerusalema royalties.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Distributor
emPawa Africa
Lagos label-services and talent-incubation company founded by Mr Eazi in 2018.
Lagos, Nigeria
empawaafrica.com
Label
Epic Records
US major-label division of Sony Music Entertainment, holding an exclusive licence to South African artist Tyla's recordings.
Not established from the sources reviewed for this record., United States
epicrecords.com
Label
Eric Many Limited
Nigerian record label owned by Prince Okwudili Umenyiora, in a decade-long contract dispute with Runtown.
Abuja, Nigeria
Label
Family Tree Records
South African hip-hop label founded by Cassper Nyovest in 2014, in partnership with Universal Music South Africa since 2018.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Label
FAX Records
South African-linked record label holding the master rights to Tyla's recordings, licensed onward to Epic Records.
Johannesburg and New York, per trade coverage of the May 2021 announcement. Not confirmed against a corporate registry., South Africa
Label
Gallo Music
South Africa's oldest independent record label and publisher, based in Johannesburg since 1926 and majority-owned by Arena Holdings since 2020.
Johannesburg, South Africa
gallo.africa
Label
Gallo Record Company
The oldest record company in South Africa, founded in Johannesburg in 1926.
Johannesburg, South Africa
gallo.africa
Label
Gipa Entertainment
South African amapiano label and management company based in Midrand, Gauteng, home to LeeMcKrazy, Mellow & Sleazy and Scotts Maphuma.
Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa
Label
Giran Republic
Nigerian artist-owned record label founded by Asake in 2025, distributed via EMPIRE.
Nigeria
giranrepublic.com
Label
GoDigital
A US IP-rights holding company whose Cinq Music Group label has built named distribution and catalogue-acquisition partnerships in Nigeria and Kenya since mid-2026.
West Palm Beach, FL (per the company's own site, godigital.com). Wikipedia's infobox instead gives Santa Monica at founding; PitchBook gives Marina del Rey; trade press describes the GoDigital Music division specifically as Los Angeles-based. This record could not resolve which address is the group's current operating headquarters versus a divisional office., United States
godigital.com
Label
Golden Boy Entertainment
Lagos label owned by Patrick Anyaene (King Patrick), best known for signing and later disputing rights to artist Peruzzi.
Lagos, Nigeria
Label
JTON Music
Nigerian record label and artist-management outfit founded by Joy Tongo, trading as JTON Entertainment Limited in Lagos.
Lagos, Nigeria
jtonmusic.com
Label
Jungle Entertainment
Nigerian music distribution and infrastructure group, founded 2012, headquartered in Owerri.
Owerri, Nigeria
junglenigeria.com
Label
Kalakuta Sunrise Limited
London company holding an exclusive licence to the master recordings of Fela Kuti, which it does not own.
London, United Kingdom
Label
Kalawa Jazmee Records
Independent South African label central to kwaito, formed in Johannesburg in 1994.
Johannesburg, South Africa
kalawa.co.za