How Christian Creatives Are Shifting Popular Culture in Africa

By Kunle Falodun, Co-founder, House of Faith

A few days ago, YouTube released its 2025 Nigeria Year-in-Review, and the number one most-viewed music video wasn't from any of the usual Afrobeats heavyweights. It was “No Turning Back II”, a viral worship anthem by Gaise Baba featuring Lawrence Oyor. Within six months of its release, the video had amassed over 42 million views, 400,000 likes, and more than 22,000 comments. A gospel song. At the very top.

Photo Source: Gaise Baba/YouTube Africa

Let that sink in for a moment.

Gaise Baba, a multi-talented creative who has spent over a decade pioneering what he calls “Afro Gospel”, now sits at the summit of Nigeria's music landscape. As he put it in his reaction to the milestone: “See what the Lord has done with our simple obedience. Of a truth, we shift the culture.”

He's not wrong. Something significant is happening across African music, and the world needs to pay attention.

This is not an isolated Nigerian phenomenon. Spotify's 2024 Wrapped data confirmed that gospel music now ranks as the ninth most-streamed genre in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to Music In Africa, eight African artists including Nathaniel Bassey, Moses Bliss, Joyous Celebration from South Africa, and Spirit of Praise, made it into the top 100 most-streamed gospel artists globally. Victor Thompson and Ehis 'D' Greatest's “THIS YEAR (Blessings)” released 2023 ranked among the top 10 most-streamed gospel songs worldwide. The sound is crossing borders.

In South Africa, the momentum is unmistakable. Nontokozo Mkhize's single “Esandleni” broke the record for the biggest weekly streams by any solo female artist on South African Spotify, surpassing even Adele. She won both Song of the Year and Gospel Artist of the Year at the 2025 Basadi In Music Awards. Across the gospel scene, artists like Benjamin Dube, Lebo Sekgobela, and Xolly Mncwango continue to bridge the gap between worship circles and mainstream platforms with remarkable success.

Kenya's gospel community has been thriving for years, producing powerhouse voices like Mercy Masika, Size 8, and Eunice Njeri—artists whose music blends contemporary beats with messages of faith that resonate across generations. The consistent excellence from artists like Evelyn Wanjiru, Guardian Angel and Kambua show that Kenyan creatives are carving out space for spiritually grounded content that doesn't compromise on quality.

Beyond music, there's also a revival happening in African faith-based film. Omoni Oboli emerged as YouTube Nigeria's top creator channel for 2025. Content from Mount Zion Film Ministries—pioneers who have produced over 200 films in the past four decades—continues to draw massive viewership. Creators like Laju Iren and Mildred Okonkwo are producing high-quality faith films that find audiences both on streaming platforms and in cinemas across the continent.

The numbers underscore a broader industry shift. According to Billboard, Contemporary Christian and Gospel music grew by almost 9% in 2024. This is more than twice the overall music industry growth rate. The Christian streaming sector is valued at $2.5 billion and projected to reach $4 billion by 2028. Africa's streaming market itself is growing at 37% annually. YouTube's latest report notes that 70% of watch time on Nigerian content now comes from viewers outside the country. African stories, including faith-based content, are finding global audiences.

Yet here's the reality that remains: while over 700 million Christians live across Sub-Saharan Africa and the diaspora, there's still a significant gap between the content available and what this audience hungers for. Industry estimates suggest a significant gap between localised, high-quality faith-based video content available to African audiences and the over 100,000 hours of secular content available on 3 major streamers alone. Leading global Christian streaming platforms remain largely unavailable in Africa and feature fewer than 50 African titles.

The talent is clearly here. The audience is clearly here. What's been missing is the infrastructure to connect them at scale.

This is precisely why we built House of Faith and why our flagship streaming platform, FaithStream, which we recently announced is launching in January 2026. We founded this ecosystem to help reach more Africans on the continent and in the diaspora with wholesome, faith-affirming entertainment inspired by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to provide creatives like Gaise Baba, Laju Iren, and the thousands of talented believers across Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town, and beyond with a vehicle to take their stories to the world.

People of faith should no longer have to choose between premium entertainment and content that aligns with their values. Why can't we have both?

The house is open. The culture is shifting. And we're building for everyone who wants to be part of it.

Visit thefaithstream.com to experience what we are building.