Jakkalsvibes: the Afrikaans AI hitmaker fans can’t stop playing
- Charlene Bekker
- Nov 10
- 3 min read
Not a kid banging on drums in a garage, an artist composing with AI and turning it into songs people love. That’s the simple, disruptive pitch behind Jakkalsvibes (also styled Jakkals Vibes): a South African songwriter whose tracks are built with AI‑assisted production and delivered with big, radio‑ready choruses.
Why he’s suddenly everywhere
Jakkalsvibes describes his process plainly: he writes the lyrics himself and partners with AI for the production, the beats, melodies and arrangements. The goal, he says, is a sound that feels human, not robotic. He’s even registered with SAMRO, South Africa’s music‑rights body, underscoring that he’s working inside the industry’s guardrails.
And the numbers are following. His TikTok community has climbed into the tens of thousands with hundreds of thousands of likes, a trajectory his own bio has documented through 2025, while his YouTube uploads have racked up hundreds of thousands of views (for example, “Heeltemal stom” at ~742k and “As ek môre nie meer hier is” at ~512k at the time of capture). Social stats change fast, but the momentum is clear.
The music: Polished, emotive, and charting
If you listen to just one track, make it “As ek môre nie meer hier is” (“If I’m not here tomorrow”). It’s a glossy, emotive dance‑pop single released on the major platforms in October 2025, and it’s the one our readers keep telling us they have on repeat.
The breakout moment so far? “Heeltemal stom.” In October 2025, it became the first AI‑assisted song to enter the Afrikaanse Top‑20, and by late October it was still riding high on the chart. That’s not a novelty spike, that’s sustained listener demand.
Jakkalsvibes’ own timeline also notes a TV boost via kykNET NOW (DStv 146), which helped carry the sound beyond social feeds and into living rooms.
“Is AI music real music?”
That’s the argument lighting up comment sections and group chats. Purists call fully machine‑made tracks “fake.” Fans point out a simpler test: if it moves you, it’s music.
The industry’s official answer sits somewhere in the middle. The Recording Academy’s current rules say only human creators can win GRAMMYs; AI‑assisted works can qualify if the human authorship is “meaningful.” Fully machine‑generated works are out. In other words: tools can help, but people still matter.
Why Jakkalsvibes matters
Love or loathe AI in music, Jakkalsvibes is showing what happens when a songwriter with a sharp ear leans into the tech and finishes songs that audiences actually want.
The results aren’t academic demos; they’re sticky hooks and choruses turning up on playlists, radio, and charts. (And yes, longtime readers will remember we at The Go‑To Guy have experimented with making our own songs too.)
Listen & tell us what you think
Start with “As ek môre nie meer hier is” and “Heeltemal stom.” Then head to his TikTok and let us know where you stand in the “real vs. fake” debate, we’ll feature the best takes in a follow‑up.
TikTok (Jakkalsvibes):
Also on: Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube.
Fast facts
• Artist: Jakkalsvibes / Jakkals Vibes
• Style: Afrikaans dance/electro‑pop with AI‑assisted production.
• Highlights: TikTok community in the tens of thousands; YouTube videos with 500k–700k+ views; “Heeltemal stom” in Maroela Media’s Top‑20. (Stats fluctuate.)
• Pick for first listen: “As ek môre nie meer hier is” (Oct 3, 2025).
Editor’s note: Social metrics are snapshots and change quickly; figures above reflect what was publicly visible in late 2025.