Virgin Music Group has renewed its global distribution partnership with South Africa’s Gallo Record Company and Content Connect Africa (CCA).
Under the extended agreement, Virgin Music will continue distributing music from Gallo and CCA artists globally, handling monetization and international reach while the South African companies focus on artist development.
Nicole Thomas, Managing Director of Virgin Music Group South Africa, said: “This partnership is about combining strengths to build a sustainable ecosystem for African music globally.
“Gallo Record Company and CCA are deeply committed to nurturing artists, and Virgin brings the global reach, infrastructure, and expertise to ensure their music thrives.”
Thomas was promoted to her new role in December.
Founded in 1926, Gallo Record Company is South Africa’s oldest independent record label. The company has released music from Miriam Makeba, Lucky Dube, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Mango Groove.
Its current roster includes K.Keed in hip hop, Falabo in Maskandi, and gospel artist Nozipho Phiri, spanning genres from Maskandi and mbaqanga to jazz and pop.
“This partnership is about combining strengths to build a sustainable ecosystem for African music globally.”
Nicole Thomas, Virgin Music Group South Africa
The Music Arena (Arena Holdings owned by the Lebashe Investment Group) acquired Gallo in 2020. The label will mark its 100th anniversary this year. In 2021, Gallo acquired a 45% stake in CCA.
CCA operates as an independent media and content company focused on expanding South African music across the continent. CCA’s roster includes Zuko SA, Temple Boys CPT, Teddy James III and Kwiish SA. The company provides label services to artists who want to retain ownership of their master recordings while still accessing label services.
It also pioneered caller ring back tones (CRBTs) on the continent, creating an additional revenue stream for artists and labels through partnerships with mobile phone networks.
Antos Stella, CEO of Arena Holdings, the parent company of both Gallo Records and CCA, said: “At The Music Arena, our passion is to champion African music and its creators. This partnership between Virgin Music, Gallo Music and Content Connect Africa embodies the power of collaboration and partnership, uniting global reach with local authenticity. This is a celebration of South African creativity and the boundless power of unity through music.”
“This partnership between Virgin Music, Gallo Music and Content Connect Africa embodies the power of collaboration and partnership, uniting global reach with local authenticity.”
Antos Stella, Arena Holdings
Under the arrangement, Gallo and CCA handle artist development activities including release planning, marketing campaigns, and songwriting camps designed to develop talent. Virgin will manage global distribution for their artists.
Virgin said the partnership seeks to facilitate collaborations between African and international artists. IFPI reported in March 2025 that recorded music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa grew 22.6% YoY in 2024, surpassing $100 million for the first time.
The development further expands Virgin’s presence in Africa. Universal Music Group‘s indie artist and label services arm expanded into Africa in 2021, when predecessor company Ingrooves acquired South Africa-based distributor Electromode. Virgin then opened an African division of Virgin Artist & Label Services in 2022.
In February 2025, the company partnered with RainLabs, a “boutique” distribution and label services company also headquartered in Ghana. In October, Virgin signed a distribution deal with Ghanaian digital music platform MiPROMO.
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