South African pop star drops Nigeria from tour amid boycott pressure, migration tensions

Tyla’s Lagos date vanished from her official tour listing sometime before Friday, days after a Nigerian boycott petition gathered thousands of signatures and weeks into a migration crisis that has already cost South African artists bookings across the continent.

The South African Grammy-winning singer, 24, had announced 34 cities for her upcoming tour on Monday following the release of her second album A*POP. Lagos appeared on the original itinerary alongside Johannesburg and Cape Town. By Friday, an updated list circulated without the Nigerian city. Tyla has not publicly explained the decision or responded to requests for comment.

Additional reference context is available at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vglz56gg5o.

The financial stakes are real. Touring is a primary revenue stream for artists at Tyla’s level, and the removal of a major African market represents a measurable commercial loss, whether the decision was driven by security concerns, commercial calculation, or external pressure. South Africa’s Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi disclosed in June that a local artist had told her “all her gigs were cancelled,” though she did not name the performer. “So the [South Africa] brand does get affected,” Kubayi said at the time.

The broader economic and diplomatic backdrop is deteriorating. Tens of thousands of foreign nationals, including Nigerians, have departed South Africa, many on specially chartered repatriation flights, as anti-migrant sentiment has surged. Nigeria and other African nations have accused Pretoria of insufficient action against attacks targeting foreign nationals. Diplomatic officials met recently in Abuja, but the tensions have spread well into the entertainment sector.

Tyla is not the only South African performer absorbing the commercial fallout. Comedian Trevor Noah drew criticism for fronting an advertisement for the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, with social media users condemning him for promoting the country without addressing xenophobic attitudes. The backlash has reportedly cost South African artists performances across the continent.

Meanwhile, an online petition titled “Ban Tyla from entering Nigeria until xenophobic attacks stop in South Africa” launched on Wednesday and rapidly accumulated thousands of signatures. On Tyla’s social media platforms, where the original tour dates remain visible, Nigerian users have called on her to cancel her performance and criticized her silence on the violence.

Her position in this dispute is complicated by her Grammy record. She won her second award in the Best African Music Performance category earlier this year, defeating four other African artists including three Nigerians. She also won the inaugural version of the prize in 2024, again surpassing Nigerian artists Burna Boy and Davido. Two wins in the category’s first three years have made her a major commercial and critical success story while simultaneously becoming a flashpoint in fan rivalries that pit Nigerian and South African musicians against each other.

Not everyone accepts that artists should carry this economic and political weight. Nigerian activist and opposition politician Omoyele Sowore argued on social media that anger over xenophobic attacks should target political leaders rather than performers. “No-one should hold a talented musician like Tyla vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia. Artistes are not responsible for the failures of politicians except where there is ample evidence they’re enablers,” he wrote.

Nigerian culture journalist Mayowa Idowu told the BBC that while the boycott reflects genuine calls for accountability, redirecting pressure toward artists risks obscuring deeper governance failures. “I think they are well intentioned because people are seeking accountability and they’re looking beyond governments who they do not trust or have faith in. That said, I think they are misguided and they risk devolving into acts of hypocrisy. The artist in question has worked with Nigerian artists and performed in Nigeria previously,” he said.

UK-based Nigerian culture journalist Dami Ajayi observed that Tyla has not presented herself as anti-Nigeria, but noted that “we interpret her winning two Grammy Awards in a nominations list full of Nigerian musicians as being anti-Nigerian.” He pointed to comparable dynamics elsewhere, citing calls to boycott the Netflix series The Polygamist, adapted from Zimbabwean Sue Nyathi’s novel and co-directed by Nigerian filmmaker Akin Omotosho, who resides in South Africa.

South African journalist Thango Ntwasa acknowledged the difficulty in assessing whether xenophobic tensions directly caused the Lagos cancellation, but framed the moment in terms of what it signals for the industry. “It’s a very interesting time because we’re seeing arts and politics really confronting each other now more than ever,” he said. He noted that South African performers have reported hostility when touring other African nations, and given that touring generates substantial revenue, sustained negative sentiment poses real financial risk.

The open question for investors, managers and booking agents across the continent is whether this episode marks a temporary disruption or the start of a more durable commercial barrier between two of Africa’s largest music markets.