African creators take monetisation into their own hands as platform payouts fall short

African creators are rethinking how they monetise their work as platform payouts fall short, according to findings from the Africa Creator Economy Report.

The report finds that creators across the continent are prioritising revenue streams they own – including merchandise and digital products – after years of building audiences on platforms with inconsistent payment systems and limited infrastructure.

Communiqué, which produced the report in partnership with TM Global, said the findings reflect growing pressure on creators to move away from platform-dependent income models.

“Monetisation for creators is fundamentally tied to how they value their own content and intellectual property,” said Favour Olaiya, a member of the Communiqué team, speaking to The Daily Influence. “The over-reliance on platform payouts creates significant challenges because creators become dependent on algorithms and payout structures they don’t control.”

Communiqué launched the Africa Creator Economy Report last week at the Africa Creators Summit in Lagos. The findings point to a broader shift in how African creators approach their work, as content creation moves from a side hustle toward a more structured career path.

The report values the African creator economy at roughly $3 billion today and projects it will reach $17.8 billion by 2030. Yet that growth has not translated into meaningful income for most creators.

Around six in ten creators surveyed earn less than $100 a month from their creative work, despite African content increasingly reaching global audiences.

Brand sponsorships remain the single largest source of income, accounting for 28% of creator earnings, followed by sales of digital products and services at 25%, and physical merchandise at 14.2%. Advertising revenue accounts for just 5.8% of income, highlighting how limited platform-led monetisation remains for most creators.

Olaiya said the shift toward creator-owned monetisation is likely to accelerate, but that further progress will depend on the development of platforms and tools specifically designed to support direct-to-audience business models in African markets.

Critical collaboration

Beyond earnings, the report identifies coordination across the ecosystem as a defining constraint on long-term sustainability.

“Collaboration between creators, platforms, brands and policymakers is absolutely critical,” Olaiya said, warning that without supportive regulation and payment infrastructure, creators will continue to face limits even as audiences expand.

The report notes that 40% of African creators still regard content creation as a part-time pursuit, while 71% say business strategy and management are essential to attracting investment.

“The opportunity is there,” Olaiya said. “But without alignment, the creator economy will continue to grow in size without growing in stability.”

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