TikTok say it’s committed to rewarding African content creators despite them not being on rewards programme

Last month, speaking at the TikTok Safer Internet Summit, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi called for the platform to pay African content creators.

TikTok has defended itself, saying African content creators haven’t been deliberately excluded from the Creator Rewards Programme.

“It is important to correct the notion that Africa has been deliberately excluded from the Creator Rewards Programme,” said Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba.

Also known as the TikTok Creator Fund, the TikTok Creator Rewards Programme enables eligible creators to earn money by creating and sharing content on the platform.

“As a growing platform, it is our responsibility to test products and features before launching them globally or on a wider scale. We have a number of tools that our community across the continent can currently benefit from,” said Sidwaba.

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

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

Minister’s call

Malatsi said South African and African creators remain excluded from this economic opportunity.

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

South Africa has more than 17 million active users on TikTok.

One content creator, whose real name is Sifiso Tshabalala, but who is popularly known as Leagen Wayans, said they attract a lot of attention to the video app.

“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.

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

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

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

TikTok’s plan, for now

The popular social media platform conceded that while the Creator Rewards Programme has not rolled out beyond the current seven markets, it does offer ways for content creators to “take advantage of TikTok’s available tools”.

Sidwaba said TikTok was committed to paying creators.

“TikTok is committed to rewarding creativity and equipping creators with the best tools to find their community grow their careers and transform their passions into sustainable income streams,” she said.

“Our suite of monetisation tools is designed to not only reward your talent but also foster a vibrant community where diverse voices can thrive.”

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