Kenyans will begin monetizing their content on Facebook and Instagram by June this year.
This makes Kenya one of the few countries in the continent enjoying the feature.
The move was announced by the Facebook President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg in a meeting with President William Ruto at State House Nairobi
The announcement is a culmination of a year-long push by the government led by the president to have creators earn for their online content.
“Kenyan content creators who meet the eligibility criteria will now earn from their Facebook and Instagram spaces as we start monetization by June this year,” Nick said.
President William Ruto praised the partnership between Kenya and global digital platforms on the monetisation of content.
“Now content creators can begin earning from their imagination and creativity. I have kept my word to negotiate and get them fresh opportunities.”
He added: “We are banking on the digital space to create jobs for the millions of jobless youths in our country.”
President Ruto also welcomed plans to have monetization available on M-Pesa.
Additional Revenue Channels on Facebook and Instagram
Meta announced the rollout of Instream ads, along with the launch of additional revenue channels across Facebook and Instagram. These will encompass Facebook Stories, Instagram subs, and IG gifts.
“We are very happy to announce that we’re gonna have instream ads available on Facebook starting early summer maximum,” said Moon Baz, Head of global partnerships for Africa, Middle East and Turkey.
“What instream ads mean is they are image and video ads that will be served, before, during or after any of your videos and it is a way for you guys to monetise and generate revenue through Facebook.”
Sir Clegg announced that the rollout would enable Kenyan content creators to be compensated for posting their videos on the platform, emphasizing that content in English and Kiswahili would be monetized.
“I want to express my appreciation for your persistent advocacy on behalf of Kenya’s creators,” he stated, thanking President Ruto for urging the social media giant to take action.
“In our numerous meetings, you consistently emphasized the importance of leveraging online tools to transform the ingenious, humorous, and creative content produced by Kenyan creators into tangible benefits.”
Sir Clegg praised the local creator community, asserting that it was time for them to earn a sustainable income from their vibrant content, characterized by humor, linguistic diversity, creativity, and inspiration. He assured that Meta aimed to ensure creators could derive substantial earnings, both pre and post-tax, from their content.
