Africa’s Creator Economy May Hit $17.8bn by 2030, but Most Creators are Still Poorly Paid

Africa’s creator economy can reach 272.4 million advertiser-targetable user accounts across South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, but most creators still earn less than $100 a month, and few can access formal funding, a 2026 industry report says.”

According to the African Creator Economy Report 2.0, the African creator economy is valued at $3.08 billion and is projected to grow to $17.84 billion by 2030; however, most creators do not capture this value because local monetisation remains weak and income is volatile.

About six in 10 creators surveyed earn less than $100 per month from their creative work, underscoring a widening gap between audience scale and earning power.

The report shows a sharply unequal market. More than half of creators have fewer than 10,000 followers, while only 7.5% have more than 500,000 followers, a distribution that leaves most creators without the scale typically associated with larger brand budgets and more predictable revenue.

Platforms are Delivering Reach, Not Payment

The figures indicate a market that has moved beyond early adoption in the largest digital economies, with YouTube and TikTok each exceeding 114 million reachable users across the four countries and Instagram adding roughly 41 million users.

But the revenue model underpinning creator markets in the United States and parts of Europe does not translate cleanly in Africa, where lower advertising rates, patchy rollout of platform monetisation tools, and consumer constraints limit what creators can earn from views alone.

Earnings fall below $1 per 1,000 views in some cases, pushing creators to prioritise off-platform revenue such as product sales, services and sponsorships rather than relying on platform payouts.

ALSO READ: Nigeria Among Countries Paying Into Africa’s $90bn Bill — S&P

Top Earners Sell Products

Among the highest-earning creators, product sales are the largest source of income at 29%, followed by brand sponsorships at approximately 28%, the report said. Platform payouts account for approximately 11% of total earnings among top earners.

That breakdown suggests that the most financially resilient creators are operating as commerce-led businesses, using content to drive sales and partnerships rather than treating content itself as the product.

It also highlights a central risk for the sector – creators without products, services or strong brand relationships remain exposed to swings in platform performance and advertiser spending.

Brand Deals are Becoming a Stand-in for Growth Capital

The report describes brand partnerships as a practical source of financing in a market where traditional funding is scarce. Sponsorships can cover production costs and create cash flow that creators reinvest into equipment, staff, and distribution.

However, it also notes structural tension in those relationships. When brand money becomes the primary growth engine, creators may face unequal bargaining power, tighter creative constraints, and greater exposure to late payments, shifting campaign budgets, and aggressive usage rights.

For consumer-facing companies, brands are not only buying attention, but they are also indirectly funding production capacity.

Institutional Investment Barely Shows Up

Formal capital remains limited. Only 4.2% of surveyed creators have received institutional investment. More than half report never receiving external funding, and 60% are not actively seeking it.

The most common reason is not a lack of ambition, the report argues, but poor access.  54.2% report having no access to investors, and a significant share are unaware of any investment activity targeting creator-led businesses.

The result is a market in which creators seeking to scale often rely on personal savings, informal support networks, grants, or sponsorship revenue rather than on structured financing.

A Business Skills Gap is Slowing Scale

The report points to operational weaknesses that limit investment readiness. A large share of creators treat content work as part-time while also identifying business strategy and management as key to attracting funding.

Creators cite the need for stronger skills in pricing, financial planning, contract negotiation, and growth strategy, with many seeking training that extends beyond content production to business execution.

For investors, the report argues, the opportunity is real, but underwriting remains difficult without standard indicators of stability, such as consistent revenue, clear unit economics, and formal business structures.

Multi-platform is Becoming the Default

Most creators operate across multiple platforms, and larger creators are more likely to diversify their platform presence. The pattern reflects risk management. Creators spread content across channels to reduce dependence on a single algorithm, a single payout system, or a single audience.

The report notes that Instagram remains widely used as a primary platform among respondents, while TikTok and YouTube are key engines for discovery and longer-term monetisation depending on market dynamics and platform policies.

Consumer Constraints Remain a Hard Ceiling

Direct-to-fan income models face headwinds. The report cites low disposable income in many markets and “subscription fatigue” among audiences already paying for multiple digital services.

That dynamic compresses the ceiling on creator subscriptions and community memberships, raising the importance of low-friction payments, microtransactions, and offerings that feel essential rather than optional.

What to Watch

The creator economy is shifting from individual creators to formal businesses. The early signs will be more creators selling products and services, using stronger teams and contracts, and getting funding that treats them like real companies, not just advertising tools.