In the ever-evolving soundscape of African music, few tracks in recent months have embodied true cross-border resonance like “Isaka (6am)” by South African rising star CIZA. Since its release in early April, the track has become a cultural moment blending the rhythmic depth of Amapiano and radiating from Johannesburg to Lagos, Nairobi to Kampala, and beyond.

What began as a local anthem has transformed into a Pan-African movement, driven not only by a viral TikTok dance challenge but by an authentic connection to the continent’s diversity. The single now boasts over 25 million cumulative cross-platform streams, including 7.73M on Spotify, 3.2M on Apple Music, and 8.6M YouTube views, proving its movement across both digital and geographic borders. What makes “Isaka (6am)” truly stand out is that it is made on a foundation of the ever-famous Amapiano’s signature that we’ve all fallen in love with. The sound is familiar yet fresh to listeners across East, West, and Southern Africa.

In Nigeria, a country known for exporting chart-topping hits, the song’s impact is particularly noteworthy. It has reached the No. 1 position on Spotify’s Viral Chart in Nigeria, evidence of the powerful cultural crossover between the West African Afrobeats stronghold and the South’s Amapiano wave. In East Africa, countries like Uganda and Kenya have propelled the song to No. 1 on the Apple Music iTunes charts, where listeners often gravitate toward rhythmic fusions that reflect their own hybrid music traditions. Meanwhile, in Botswana and Namibia, the single’s lead on both Apple Music and dance-specific charts speaks to its regional dancefloor appeal.

Even in North Africa and the diaspora, “Isaka (6am)” finds its footholds. It’s charting on Spotify in the UAE and Netherlands, and on Shazam Global, it’s cracked into the Top 15, with dance chart placements in the UK, Canada, the US, and Australia.

“Isaka (6am)” Chart Milestones [as at Friday, May 23]:

• Spotify Viral Charts:
  • Global: No. 7
  • Nigeria: No. 1
  • South Africa: No. 2
  • Netherlands: No. 41
  • UAE: No. 51
• Apple Music (iTunes, All Genres):
  • South Africa: No. 1
  • Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana: No. 1
• Shazam:
  • All Genres Global: No. 13
  • All Genres South Africa: No. 1
  • Dance Global: No. 5
  • Dance South Africa: No. 5
  • Dance United Kingdom: No. 27
  • Dance Canada: No. 30
  • Dance US: No. 56
  • Dance Australia: No. 59
  • House Global: No. 1
• YouTube:
  • South Africa: No. 1 Trending
• Deezer:
  • Top 100 South Africa: No. 3

“Isaka (6am)” also features on playlists like Viral 50 Nigeria, Viral 50 South Africa, Viral 50 Netherlands, Hot Hits South Africa, Hot Hits Tanzania, and Viral Hits Africa. With “Isaka (6am),” CIZA has made an entry point into a new era of African music by blurring the lines between and uniting beats. More than just a club banger or a TikTok sensation, “Isaka (6am)” is another step at showing how far South African music has come, and how closely connected Africans are. The beat drops the same and everyone is unitedly vibing to it.