South African music producer Prince Kaybee has reignited discussion around Zimbabwe’s music industry, arguing that local artists face difficulties breaking into international markets not because of a lack of talent, but due to genre limitations, lyrical style, and language barriers.
Sharing his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), Kaybee sparked conversations about Zimbabwe’s musical identity and the obstacles it faces in gaining wider global appeal.
Known for his Afro-house hits, Kaybee spent time recording his album The 4th Republic in Harare and Bulawayo.
Reflecting on that experience, he noted that Zimdancehall Zimbabwe’s dominant genre has a complex, layered sound that hinders its commercial viability beyond local audiences.
“You guys actually have world-class engineers and songwriting,” Kaybee posted on X. “The issue is the type of sonics that have been consistent throughout the years, which is Zimdancehall. It’s a very small genre… too layered to be commercially feasible in South Africa.”
His remarks were prompted by a viral post from Zimbabwean social media personality Tabani Mgucci, who criticised the limited international reach of Zimbabwean music, noting that local artists often perform abroad mainly for Zimbabwean diaspora audiences.
