How to cash in on content creation

Last year, Kenyan content creators were happy when President William Ruto announced that they would start getting paid by Meta. 

“I have good news for our creatives and those who imagine and produce content through Facebook and Instagram. Just yesterday, Meta committed to helping creators in Kenya earn money for crafting original content. Following a pilot programme with eligible creators in the country, Meta will be expanding monetisation opportunities and allowing more creators to earn a living doing what they love,” he announced.

Kenyan content creators are an unhappy lot when it comes to getting what is rightfully their hard earned money. This is a feeling shared across the continent.

A report dubbed Africa Creator Economy (2024), highlighted that lack of support and funding (24.7 per cent) and limited monetisation options (22.8 per cent) are top challenges, while creators express excitement about global opportunities, with an optimistic outlook for the creator economy’s growth.

According to the report, the majority (86.1 per cent) of African creators have fewer than 9,999 followers—most are still building their online presence. Only 2.6 per cent have over 100,000 followers, showing that the community is largely made up of emerging talents.

“There is power in numbers and this is what most corporates look for when they engage an influencer and also how your engagements look like,” says media personality and sports heavyweight Stephen Mukangai.

The Radio Maisha host boasts over 1.5 million followers across various social media platforms.

“Brand collaboration and influencer marketing are crucial for revenue generation. These partnerships not only provide creators with financial backing but also help in enhancing their visibility. When a creator collaborates with a brand that aligns with their image, it creates authentic promotional opportunities, driving both sales for the brand and exposure for the entertainer,” he says.

Dennis Njenga, Co-Founder and Managing Director Kaka Empire Music label and recording company says Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have revolutionised the way entertainers generate revenue in Kenya.

“They allow creators to reach larger audiences, build their brands, and engage directly with fans. For monetization, we leverage features such as YouTube’s ad revenue sharing, TikTok’s Creator Fund, and Instagram’s shopping tags and sponsored posts to create diverse income streams,” he states.

“Balancing creativity with business is key. I encourage entertainers to prioritize their artistic vision while providing them with data-driven insights to understand market demands. This collaborative approach allows us to create captivating content that still has commercial potential. Remember Data is KING,” he notes.

The report also pointed out that majority of African creators fall within the 18-24 and 25-34 age brackets, each comprising about 51.3 per cent and 45.6 per cent of our respondents, with females slightly outnumber males, making up 53.2 per cent of the creator pool.

Almost half (49.4 per cent) of respondents interviewed are in the Entertainment & Media sector, followed by Technology (17.7 per cent) and Fashion and Lifestyle (13.3 per cent). These sectors highlight the dynamic interest areas shaping the African creator economy.

Social media trends change rapidly.

Dennis says helping his client to stay on top of trends is vital.

“We focus on continuous education through workshops and constant monitoring of industry shifts. By analysing trending genres or content styles, we can pivot strategies quickly—whether that means exploring new video formats on TikTok or understanding algorithm changes on Instagram. Being flexible and open to innovation ensures our entertainers remain relevant,” he intimates.

While creatives continue to make content, an emerging conflict of copyright in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) remains. AI has disrupted copyright as we traditionally knew it. 

“A work qualifies for copyright protection within the meaning of the Kenya Copyright Act as long as it is fixed and is original. Originality in most cases requires human author. This raises the issue of ownership in Artificial Intelligence generated copyright works.

“There is no general consensus among World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) member states on how this ownership issue in Artificial Intelligence generated works should be treated,” states Kenya Copyright Board (Kecobo) Senior Legal Counsel Paul Kaindo.

Paul says that under the Kenyan Copyright Act an author in a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or computer program which is computer generated, means the person by whom the arrangements necessary for the creation of the work were undertaken.

In other words, copyright in computer generated works is held by the person who made the necessary preparations for the creation of the work in question.

A survey conducted by Creatives Garage shows that about 75.2 per cent of artists are currently utilising AI tools for a range of creative activities, such as image generation, graphic design, and video creation.

Kenneth Essendi, a lawyer with Intellectual Property background says the intersection of artificial intelligence with the creative industry in Kenya presents a multifaceted landscape characterised by both opportunities and challenges.

“Many creative professionals are utilising AI to enhance their work and expand their audience reach; however, there are substantial concerns regarding privacy, job security, and ethical considerations.

“As the industry continues to evolve, it will be essential for all stakeholders—comprising artists, technologists, and policymakers—to collaborate in developing frameworks that safeguard individual rights while fostering innovation in this dynamic sect,” he says.

At the same times, there are growing concerns about privacy and ethics that have emerged with the growing presence of AI in creative fields. As AI applications gain popularity, issues like data security and the risk of improper use of generated content, including deep fakes, are becoming more pressing.

“Deep fakes can be exploited to create false portrayals of individuals, resulting in defamation and a decline in trust towards digital media. To tackle these issues, there are movements advocating for regulatory measures to oversee AI usage in Kenya. Proposed laws are intended to tackle ethical concerns related to AI implementation, safeguarding the rights of creators while promoting innovation,” says Essendi.

Another growing concern is the issue of engagement farming on various platforms with X being notoriously abused.

“Engagement farming is a tactic where users create content specifically designed to maximize interactions, exploiting platform algorithms to increase visibility. This practice often involves posting provocative statements, controversial opinions, or simple questions that encourage users to comment and share,” says Nyandia Gachago, a digital marketing guru.

Common techniques include rage baiting where individuals post inflammatory content to provoke outrage and discussion. (Hence the rise in racist, sexist and pornographic content).

Comment for DM encourages users to comment a specific word to receive a direct message, boosting engagement metrics. The other way is through polls and trending topics where people utilise polls or jumping on trending hashtags to generate quick responses.

Elon Musk’s recent announcement to ban engagement farming aims to address the prevalence of low-quality content that clutters feeds, as many users express frustration over click bait and manipulative posts.