Afro House vs Amapiano
By Alan More
Afro house and amapiano both come out of South Africa, but they are different styles. Amapiano is built on a log drum bassline at 110 to 115 BPM,[4][7] while afro house keeps a house-style kick and pushes layered percussion forward,[3] at about 120 to 124 BPM.
| Afro House | Amapiano | |
|---|---|---|
| Origins | Emerged in South Africa in the 1990s, with kwaito among its principal influences.[1] | Cultural origins are dated to the mid-2010s in the townships of Gauteng; it became popular in the early 2020s.[2] |
| Sound | Fuses traditional house with South African rhythms and sounds; layered shakers, congas and bells sit around a house-style kick.[3] | Known for a wide percussive log drum bassline, with piano melodies and synths on top.[4] |
| Influences | Kwaito, mbaqanga, deep house, tribal house and soulful house.[5] | Kwaito, deep house, gqom, jazz, soul and lounge music.[6] |
| Tempo | Usually about 120 to 124 BPM. | Most amapiano falls in the 110 to 115 BPM range, slower than typical house.[7] |
Sources
- [1] Wikipedia: Afro house (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [2] Wikipedia: Amapiano (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [3] Orphiq: What Is Afro House? (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [4] Wikipedia: Amapiano (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [5] Wikipedia: Afro house (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [6] Wikipedia: Amapiano (accessed 2026-10-09)
- [7] Splice: What is amapiano music? (accessed 2026-10-09)
Frequently asked questions
Is amapiano a type of afro house?
No. Amapiano is its own South African style, defined by the log drum bassline and influenced by kwaito, deep house, jazz and lounge music. Afro house is a house subgenre that fuses house with South African rhythms. They are related scenes, not one genre inside the other.
What is the main sound difference between afro house and amapiano?
The low end. Amapiano is carried by a log drum bassline, and Splice quotes a producer saying that without the log drum it is not amapiano. Afro house keeps a house-style kick, which is often four-on-the-floor, and builds its groove from layered percussion between the kick hits and a rolling, syncopated bass.
Which is faster, afro house or amapiano?
Afro house. It usually sits at about 120 to 124 BPM, against 110 to 115 BPM for most amapiano.
Which came first, afro house or amapiano?
Afro house. Wikipedia dates its emergence to the 1990s in South Africa, while amapiano has cultural origins in the mid-2010s and became popular in the early 2020s.