Written by Milton Tutu, FGILG – CMO, Selar.
Some months ago, at the Jobtech Alliance Summit in Kenya, I shared a number that surprised the room: Selar has paid out over $10 million to African creators in just 4 years.
Before Selar, African creators used platforms like Gumroad and Teachable to sell. But these platforms weren’t built for us; from payment restrictions to compliance hoops, it was a struggle. Yet creators still found a way.
When Selar was launched, the mission was simple: make it easy for African creators to sell their digital products and get paid globally without hassle. In 9 years, we’ve seen what’s possible when infrastructure is built for African creators..
Which begs the bigger question: how much has the African economy lost to the West simply because we didn’t have the right infrastructure to support our creators?
What are the solutions?
We Need More African Creator-Focused Platforms
According to research by isthischannelmonetized.com, Western creators on YouTube earn between $7 and $15 per 1,000 views, while African creators receive just $1 to $2 per 1,000 views. But here’s the thing: it’s not because African eyeballs are worth less. It’s because advertisers pay less for African inventory, and these platforms optimize for where the bigger brand dollars are coming from. Value is regionally priced, and we’re on the wrong end of that pricing.
It would also interest you to know that opportunities like TikTok Shop and TikTok Creator Rewards aren’t even available to African creators. Africans on the continent are restricted from using platforms like PayPal, Mercurie, and other global payment services.
We can’t compete globally if we keep relying on Western platforms to express ourselves and make money. We need to start building creator-first platforms designed for African realities. Platforms that aren’t just clones of what already exists but are built with African infrastructure, payment systems, internet limitations, and market needs in mind.
We need to start building the actual products, tools, and platforms that power the creator economy on this continent. And as we build, we need to ask: how will creators monetize from day one? How will payments work? How do we make sure these systems plug into mobile wallets, local banks, and cross-border services seamlessly?
Creator monetization is a real conversation we need to have. And it’s about time we start building for ourselves.
Invest More In Creator Education
Africans have been creating since the dawn of time. Our creativity predates many civilizations. But while Africans have been creators for centuries, there’s still a huge gap between what is known and what should be known.
As much as Selar preaches the gospel of digital products and how everyday Africans can make money from their creativity, a lot of people still don’t realize they can turn what they know into digital products and monetize it. This is why we invest heavily in creator education, showing people that they can monetize their knowledge, skills, and expertise. We also actively amplify the stories of other creators who are winning, so people can see what’s possible.
Creator-focused platforms in Africa need to do more here. It’s not enough to hand people tools; we have to show them what’s possible and how to get there. We also need successful African creators to share their stories and the blueprint behind how they got to where they are.
One of our biggest problems as Africans is poor documentation. We don’t properly document our processes, strategies, successes, or failures. So you’ll find young creators trying to reinvent the wheel when someone already cracked the code years ago, but didn’t leave a blueprint.
The only way the African creator economy will grow is if we prioritize education. We should integrate creator education into schools and national programs to show young Africans that this is a viable path to wealth and influence
Favourable Government Policies & Funding
The creator economy in Africa won’t experience the exponential growth it’s capable of without proper funding and enabling policies from our governments.
In 2023, we conducted a research study on Africa’s creator economy and found that for every 4 creators, at least 1 employs a team working with them. Beyond being a legitimate path to wealth creation, the creator economy has the potential to close employment gaps and lift millions of young Africans out of unemployment. But this won’t happen if policymakers keep treating the digital and creative economy as mere entertainment.
In South Korea, government initiatives helped turn K-pop and Korean cinema into global industries. In Africa, opportunities like this are rare. And that needs to change. We need similar support here and not just for film and music but for content creation, digital products, etc.
African government need to officially recognize the creator economy as a viable economic sector deserving of investment and policy support. We need national programs offering training, digital skills bootcamps, creator residencies, and accelerator programs for creators in areas like content creation, digital products, music, art, and gaming.
Lastly, the government need to prioritize policy reforms for digital payments and cross-border transactions. One of the biggest hurdles creators face is receiving payments globally. African governments need to support financial policies that ease international payments, FX rates, and digital wallet integrations for creators and freelancers.
Africa’s creator economy is untapped gold. But potential alone won’t build wealth, close unemployment gaps, or put Africa on the global creative map. It’s time for platform builders, governments, and creators themselves to work together and invest in the tools, infrastructure, and policies that will help African creators not just compete, but lead.
