AfroCharts

Leonard Novati, Founder

Milwaukee, WI

2025

AfroCharts is bringing African music and artists onto the world stage

For Leonard Novati, a deep love of music and an innate engineering mindset converged to create a platform that celebrates African music and artists. Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, Leonard found a way to bridge the gap between African music and a global audience, all while building a sustainable, self-funded business.

Striking a chord with a purpose

Leonard’s journey began long before he ever saw a computer.

Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania after his parents fled a civil war in Burundi, he recalls that growing up there fostered an "engineering mindset." He and other children had to "create our own fun, our own toys" from materials like wood and mud. His passion for music started in the camp, listening to the radio and watching older adults create music. He remembers the powerful impact of the large Burundian drums, which would give him goosebumps.

His life changed dramatically in 2007 when his family was relocated to Wisconsin as part of a refugee resettlement program. Arriving at age 16 with no English, he enrolled in high school and credits Mr. Jon Schoenbeck who taught ESL (English As a Second Language) for helping him learn the language while taking regular classes.

In a computer lab, he saw his first computer and was immediately captivated. He taught himself to code, studied computer science in college, and eventually became a DJ as a side hobby. It was then that he saw the need for a platform where African artists could share their music without having to rely on radio stations or paying bloggers.

"I wanted to do something for African music and African culture," he explains. His goal was to create a platform that celebrated the diverse sounds of all 54 African countries, and “to give a voice to artists often overlooked in the mainstream music industry."

This idea became AfroCharts.

Keeping a sustainable beat

AfroCharts launched in 2020 with a clear mission: to make African music accessible to a global audience and to empower artists to share their music and earn income.

Leonard, a self-taught software engineer, personally built the website, as well as the Android and iOS versions of the app, a process that took him about four months per platform. The name AfroCharts was chosen to resonate with African identity, blending "Afro" to signify African origin and "Charts" to represent a place for charting music.

To keep the app free and accessible, especially for his African audience, who were often accustomed to music being bundled with data plans, Leonard chose a business model supported by ads and a premium option. He chose Google AdMob for the app and Google AdSense for the website around 2021. This decision proved to be transformative.

"Ad revenue has literally helped AfroCharts to be sustainable on its own," Leonard shares. “It helps make sure the people who are working on the app are getting paid and pays for the services that we are using as well.”

The ad-supported model supports his team of five people, most of whom are based in Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Nigeria and also ensures that his core mission of providing free access to African music remains intact.

AfroCharts has received significant recognition, including being named a "Hometown Winner" at a Summerfest pitch competition and a semifinalist in Black Ambition's annual entrepreneurship contest. This recognition, Leonard says, has helped "build more trust with our users" and encouraged more artists to join the platform.

“Ad revenue has literally helped AfroCharts to be sustainable on its own. It helps make sure the people who are working on the app are getting paid and pays for the services that we are using as well.”

Amplify connections, remix the future

AfroCharts has cultivated a global community of users, with over 400,000 signed-up users and an average of 5,000 new app downloads monthly.

While he expected the audience to be primarily from East Africa, his first hire was a Music Curator from Zambia, who helped onboard many Zambian artists, leading to a strong user base in Zambia and neighboring countries. The app now boasts over 25,000 artists and has reached more than 10 million users since its launch.

The app's impact is deeply personal to Leonard. He recalls a user telling him, "You guys are like the UN of African music," because the app brings music from all 54 African countries together in one place.

His favorite part of the work is seeing people use and enjoy the app, as evidenced by the high ratings and positive reviews on Google Play. These messages confirm that his platform is making a real difference.

Looking ahead, Leonard plans to expand AfroCharts into podcasts and online radio, focusing on African storytelling.

He is also venturing into live music, hosting African-inspired events in Milwaukee and beyond, with ambitions to launch the city's first Afrobeats Festival and potentially take it on the road. Leonard is also planning a pre-seed funding round to further grow the business and hire more staff.

His dedication, fueled by his powerful life experiences, has not only built a successful business but has also created a vibrant community where African music and culture can truly resonate.

About the Publisher

Leonard Novati is the founder of AfroCharts, a music and media platform dedicated to promoting African music, artists and culture. Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, his family eventually relocated to the US, where he self-taught coding and pursued a career as a software engineer. Based in Wisconsin, he now balances AfroCharts with his corporate career, and works to foster a thriving community around African music.