Tems becomes the best selling female African artist, surpassing 25 million units sold worldwide and overtaking Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, and Angelique Kidjo
Tems best selling female African artist status has now been confirmed, as the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer surpasses 25 million units in global sales.
Also read: Tems wins second Grammy, makes history for Nigeria
Since launching her career in 2018, Temilade Openiyi popularly known as Tems has soared to commercial success, surpassing legends like Angelique Kidjo, Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade in total certified sales.
Her major certifications include:
“Essence” – 5x Platinum in the U.S. (5 million units)
“Wait For U” – 3x Platinum in the U.S. (3 million units)
“Free Mind” – 2x Platinum in the U.S. (2 million units)
“Higher” – Platinum in the U.S. (1 million units)
She also holds multiple Platinum and Gold certifications in countries like the UK, Canada, France, Australia, and South Africa proving her global dominance.
Although Algeria’s Cheb Khaled still leads as Africa’s top-selling artist overall with 81 million units, and Wizkid follows closely with 75 million, Tems best selling female African artist achievement cements her place in history.
Also read: Tems responds to pregnancy rumours involving Future, questions why he’s the focus
She continues to be a powerful symbol of modern African music’s global reach.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
