Africa is not excluded from its creator rewards programme, says TikTok.
Despite controversy over TikTok’s monetisation approach for African creators, the short-form video social media network maintains that African content creators have been “coining it” on the platform.
In a statement, TikTok says it has a suite of reward features designed to empower creators to monetise their work and engage with their communities on the platform.
This, after communications minister Solly Malatsi last month called for lucrative TikTok monetisation programmes for South African content creators.
He noted that while TikTok has had a remarkable impact in SA − demonstrating the power of the platform to transform lives and careers – there remains a lot of room for improvement regarding remuneration.
Earlier this year, African TikTok content creators took to social media to allege they are underpaid by the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, compared to those in the rest of the world.
While creators in the US and Europe cash in on direct monetisation from TikTok’s Creator Fund, African content makers are left hustling for brand deals, influencer gigs and live gifts, they complained.
In February, social media pundits and local creators expressed their frustrations to ITWeb, claiming they have been side-lined by TikTok regarding participating in the platform’s investment initiatives, which are only aimed at creators in other parts of the world.
Despite not having a TikTok Creator Fund for African creators, TikTok says it offers diverse monetisation models tailored to their unique formats, platforms and audiences.
“It is important to correct the notion that Africa has been deliberately excluded from the Creator Rewards Programme,” says Boniswa Sidwaba, head of content operations for TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa.
“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.”
While the Creator Rewards Programme has not rolled out beyond the current seven markets, African creators can still take advantage of its available tools, says TikTok.
The social media platform comments that it 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.
TikTok’s suite of monetisation tools include:
LIVE Gifts: A real-time engagement tool where creators can go LIVE on TikTok and enable this feature, allowing them to collect rewards based on the popularity of their broadcasts.
Video Gifts: Monetising pre-recorded content for those who prefer to share pre-recorded videos, this feature offers an opportunity to earn rewards through viewer contributions.
Effect Creator Rewards: Creators can use this feature to design high-quality virtual effects and earn cash rewards.
Subscription Model: By building loyal communities with this feature, creators can offer exclusive perks and unique experiences to their loyal fans for a monthly fee.
Work With Artists: African creators can collaborate with music artists to promote songs and participate in viral video campaigns. Rewards are based on the performance of these videos.
The TikTok community can visit the TikTok Studio on their profile, where they will find the Creator Monetisation Centre.
