Singer TEMS becomes Africa’s bestselling female African artist
Saturday, July 26, 2025 – Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, is now the best selling female African artiste.
Tems, who launched her music career in 2018, has now surpassed industry veterans like Angelique Kidjo, Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade to become the most commercially successful African female artist, according to charts’ data.
From available data, the Grammy-winning singer has sold over 25 million units worldwide.
Some of her certifications include ‘Essence’ 5x Platinum in USA (5 million units), ‘Wait For U’ 3x Platinum in USA (3 million units), ‘Free Mind’ 2x Platinum in USA (2 million), and ‘Higher’ Platinum in USA (1 million).
She also has numerous Platinum and Gold certifications in the UK, Canada, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, and South Africa.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s Cheb Khaled remains the best selling African artist with 81 million units, followed by Nigerian Afrobeats star Wizkid with 75 million units.
