Lekompo and Bacardi house: the SA sounds coming for 2027
From Limpopo’s bolobedu roots to Pretoria’s township parties, two regional styles are ready for a national moment.
Every couple of years, a South African sound jumps from regional favourite to national obsession. Amapiano did it. 3-step is doing it now. Ask anyone tracking the next wave and two names keep coming up: lekompo and Bacardi house.
Lekompo: Limpopo’s fast lane
Lekompo is a close cousin of bolobedu house, and it borrows freely. You can hear tsa manyalo, Shangaan electro’s breakneck tempos, gqom’s low end and amapiano’s melodic patience in the mix. The result is music that is hyper-local in language and swagger, yet instantly danceable anywhere.
Makhadzi has done more than most to put Limpopo’s energy on national stages, and artists like Kharishma, whose “Chokeslem” was a 2024 standout, and Shebeshxt, behind “Ke Di Shxt Malume” and “Rato Laka” with Zee Nxumalo, have built devoted followings on the back of the style.
Lekompo doesn’t sound like it’s asking Johannesburg for permission. That’s exactly why it travels.
Bacardi house: Pretoria’s comeback kid
Bacardi house, also called lezenke, isn’t new. It came out of Pretoria’s townships in the mid-2000s, pushed by DJs including Mujava and the late DJ Spoko. Its skeletal, twitchy rhythms were years ahead of their time.
What changed is amapiano. Focalistic in particular brought Bacardi’s bounce into piano hybrids, introducing it to a generation who had never heard the originals. Big Baller CEO’s “Hlaba O Be Wete” trended widely, and artists such as Ennyman Da Guitar and Sia_TheBee are building on it.
Why now
Both sounds share what made amapiano unstoppable: strong regional identity, dance-led virality and producers who work fast. Streaming means a track from Polokwane or Mamelodi can reach Durban and Cape Town in a weekend.
We will be adding more lekompo and Bacardi coverage over the coming months. If you are making either, Frequency wants to hear it. Use Submit music.