Content creators welcome Solly Malatsi’s call for TikTok to pay them

Some of the country’s content creators have welcomed the call by Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi for TikTok to pay the country’s content creators on the platform.

“Obviously this is a great thing because it means he sees our plight,” chef and content creator Onezwa Mbola told The Citizen.

Last year, Mbola accused US-based content creator Nara Smith of duplicating her ideas.

“I’m literally making recipes so that people can recreate them. That’s fine. But the issue is not recreating recipes; it’s literally duplicating my content, my content style, and then profiting from it without crediting me,” Mbola told this publication at the time.

Malatsi was the keynote speaker at the TikTok Safer Internet Summit hosted in Cape Town last week.

ALSO READ: Onezwa Mbola: “It’s not recipes that I’m talking about; it’s a pattern of stealing ideas”

TikTok’s payment inequality

Before lambasting TikTok’s payment inequality, the minister shared some success stories of South African content creators who established themselves on the platform to become recognisable brands.

He mentioned eNCA current affairs show host Dan Corder, who started by sharing his political commentary on TikTok and is now on the news channel.

“Liam Jacobs leveraged his activism and community engagement on TikTok into significant political influence,” said Malatsi.

@dancorder We’re going international ✨😄🇿🇦 #tiktoksouthafrica #southafrica #fyp ♬ original sound – Dan Corder

The minister added that Jacobs successfully transitioned to becoming a voice within the highest decision-making body in our country by becoming a Member of Parliament.

“However, South African and African creators continue to be excluded entirely from this economic opportunity,” he cautioned.

The TikTok Creator Fund, also known as the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, is a monetisation program that enables eligible creators to earn money by creating and sharing content on the platform.

@onezwambola This is my most favourite video of all time because I picked up a new skill 🥹💚 #rurallife #southafrica #ezilalini #fyp #farmlife #cooking ♬ original sound – Onezwa Mbola

The fund only empowers creators in the US, Europe, and parts of Asia, allowing them to monetise their content directly.

Currently, TikTok emphasises that creators in Sub-Saharan Africa can earn money through features such as live gifts, video gifts, subscriptions, and “Work with Artists”.

The platform has committed to exploring new ways to reward creators based on feedback from the creator community.

ALSO READ: How content creator has given ‘Takalani Sesame’ an uncensored twist – and people love it!

SA’s TikTok community

South Africa is one of Africa’s largest and most vibrant TikTok communities, boasting more than 17 million active users.

“Our talented creators regularly ignite global viral trends, showcasing a creativity and cultural influence admired worldwide,” said Malatsi in his speech.

Real name Sifiso Tshabalala, but popularly known as Leagen Wayans, the content creator said they bring in a lot of eyes to the video app.

@leagenwayans_

Moshe akezwa straight😭😅😂📌

♬ original sound – Leagen Wayans

“We keep a lot of people on that app. If I have over five million views on weekly, it means there’s five million people on a regular basis – that’s money for them [TikTok],” Leagen Wayans told The Citizen.

“We do bring a lot of revenue to TikTok,” added Mbola. She said because there’s no monetisation in South Africa, a lot of content creators don’t see growth.

Malatsi said the non-payment not only limits economic opportunity but also sends the wrong message that “African creativity has reach but not value.”

To catch the attention of a brand, Leagen Wayans sometimes posts four to five videos a day due to the competitiveness in the industry.

“You wouldn’t feel that pressure [if you got paid] because you’d be seeing what your work is doing,” he shared.

ALSO READ: Heritage on a plate: TikTok’s #FoodTok creators celebrate Mzansi’s culinary diversity

Cost of making content

Mbola lamented the cost of creating content. “It costs money to create content, and not that we’re doing this for money, but people are also benefiting from our content,” she said.

“We pay for everything out of our pocket. Cameras are expensive,” lamented the former MasterChef South Africa contestant.

@leagenwayans_ #umvuzo #fyp #foryoupage #church #gospel #woeship #funny #trend ♬ original sound – Buhle Beauty Ntshona

Echoing Mbola’s sentiment, Leagen Wayans also mentioned the cost of equipment. “You’re not just using your phone. You need a ring light. If you’re doing a skit, you need to dress up – you need to buy all of those things,” he said.

The content creator who grew a following after his precise impersonation of Takalani Sesame’s giant yellow meerkat Moshe said the TikTok Creator Rewards Program would be a game-changer in South Africa.

“It would give you that will to do something. Sometimes when you’re not getting the love or the money, it dies out. Some people have come in the game and left because they see that there’s no money and go back to their nine-to-five,” he said.

The comedian, who hails from Katlehong in Ekurhuleni, said content creation is his job, and he takes it as such.

@onezwambola 3 years ago i became “the girl who made salt”. This is me introducing myself to all my new followers! Hello, lovely to have you here 🥰💚 #fyp #villagelife #southafrica #ezilalini #rurallife #cooking ♬ original sound – Onezwa Mbola

The South African content creators who do make an income do so through collaborations with brands.

“You don’t get much money from brands because, remember, there’s a lot of us. You only get campaigns probably one at a time, or sometimes there’s a drought; some months you do n’t have enough for a living,” Leagen Wayans said.

He has collaborated with some brands in the past, and so has Mbola.

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