Communications minister Solly Malatsi has called for lucrative TikTok monetisation programmes for South African content creators.
Malatsi delivered a keynote address this week at the TikTok Safer Internet Summit 2025, at the Cape Town Convention Centre.
Discussing the potential of SA’s creator economy, 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.
He highlighted the likes of successful content creators Liam Jacobs, Dan Corder and Lasizwe Dambuza as inspiring examples that illustrate the transformative potential of platforms like TikTok, to empower ordinary individuals to extraordinary heights.
“Yet, despite these incredible successes, a troubling inequity remains. TikTok’s Creator Fund empowers creators in the US, Europe and parts of Asia, allowing them to monetise their content directly. However, South African and African creators continue to be excluded entirely from this economic opportunity. Let's bring the Creator Fund to South Africa. Let's ensure our exceptional creators receive the recognition and fair compensation they have earned.
“South Africa proudly hosts one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic TikTok communities, with over 17 million active users. Our talented creators regularly ignite global viral trends, showcasing creativity and cultural influence admired worldwide. Yet they see no direct financial reward from TikTok itself. This not only limits economic opportunity, it also sends the wrong message: that African creativity has reach, but not value,” asserted Malatsi.
South Africa has over 17 million TikTok users and trendsetters shaping global culture, making it the ideal place to expand TikTok’s Creator Fund in Africa, he added.
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, noting 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.
Dominic Zaca, a South African content creator with over a million TikTok followers, told ITWeb at the time: “African creators are not paid at all by TikTok. We don’t receive any form of remuneration for anything that we contribute on the platform. Unlike other platforms, we don’t get paid for any views, interactions or likes; neither are we compensated for any audio/music that may be used that we may have originally created. So, it’s not even a conversation of us being paid fairly – we are not being paid at all.”
According to Zaca, the only source of remuneration that creators receive on TikTok is by doing a TikTok live, which means they go live and their audience can send them gifts and those gifts have monetary value.
In addition, brands often have larger budgets for influencer marketing in developed markets, while African creators may struggle to attract the same level of brand sponsorship due to factors like market size, perceived audience value and currency exchange rates.
Malatsi added he had constructive engagements with TikTok leadership regarding this issue at the Safer Internet Summit.
“We fully recognise the complexities involved − payment infrastructure, advertising ecosystems and market dynamics. But complexity can no longer justify exclusion. If we genuinely believe in an inclusive and equitable global digital economy, we must be deliberate about removing these structural barriers.”
Responding to ITWeb’s request for comment, a TikTok spokesperson previously stated: “TikTok is committed to exploring ways to reward creators for their creativity and hard work.
“Currently, creators in Sub-Saharan Africa can earn through various features we have, such as live gifts, video gifts, subscription and Work with Artists, but we continue to look for new ways to enhance our global offerings and will continue to do so as we learn from the feedback we get from our creator community.”
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