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Members of the South African choir the Ladysmith Black Mambazo 

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A recent report says that Warner Music International (WMI) and South Africa's Johnnic Communications are partnering to promote South African musicians abroad and increase sales of global artists on the continent, WMI revealed on Monday.

The Johncom Gallo Music label includes artists like Grammy-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo along with Thandiswa and simphiwe Dana. The goal is to make their music available in digital format to widen their international exposure.

WMI, a unit of Warner Music Group Corp. said in a statement: "With digital distribution dismantling many of the traditional barriers to exporting African music, the potential for Gallo's catalog to reach an international audience has never been greater."

The agreement gives WMI access to the quickly-growing South African market and will help to promote existing big stars like the band Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Blunt all over the continent.

Chief Executive of Gallo, Ivor Haarburger, who is over the partnership, added that the entire back catalog of music would be made available for digitizing, which implies that it will be used for ring tones or digital music players.

The deal reveals the continuing bet by the record companies that digital sales is replacing the CD market.

It is the hope of the two companies with the surge in mobile phone into the market and the Increase in Internet use in South Africa will offer new opportunities for the distribution of music.