African governments have been urged to review and reform their laws and policies to create an enabling environment for digital content creators including journalists and bloggers to thrive and contribute to economic growth.
The call was made by Mussa Juma, Chairman of the Journalists and Media Workers Union of Tanzania (JOWUTA), during the Pan-African Bloggers Forum, where he presented a paper on the economic opportunities available to online content creators.
Mr Juma, who is also the Executive Director of the Media Aid For Indigenous and Pastoralist Community (MAIPAC), said that despite the sharp increase in the number of digital content creators across the continent, the vast majority remain unable to reap the economic benefits of their work.
“Many social media users and online platform owners continue to generate large volumes of content, but they hardly benefit from it financially,” he said.
“This is largely due to unfriendly policies, high internet costs, lack of skills and knowledge on digital monetization, and limited awareness about claiming royalties when their content is used globally.”he added
He stressed that if governments put in place friendly policies and regulatory frameworks, young people who represent more than 60 percent of Africa’s population would be empowered economically. Governments, in turn, would also benefit through increased tax revenues from the digital economy.
Mr Juma also noted that his organisation, MAIPAC, which runs platforms such as maipactz.blogspot.com, has demonstrated that social media can be used to drive community empowerment especially among marginalized groups.
Other speakers at the forum included Emmy from Ethiopia, Winnie Lupembe from Kenya, and Ignatius Obinna from Nigeria, who all highlighted the vast potential of digital content creation in Africa.
They encouraged fellow creators to focus on storytelling, innovation, and positive narratives that reflect the continent’s diversity and promise.
Ms Lupembe emphasised the importance of balance in content creation, urging African creators to showcase the good in Africa, rather than reinforcing negative stereotypes.
“There is so much beauty and success across Africa that deserves to be highlighted just as much as the challenges,” she said.
Mr Obinna, for his part, challenged digital creators to embrace creativity, invest in learning new skills, and understand how to effectively monetize their platforms.
“Africa’s digital creators must move from content creation to content capitalization,” he said.
One of the key resolutions of the forum was the establishment of a pan-African digital content creators’ network, which will serve as a platform for experience sharing, collaboration, and skills development.
The initiative aims to build stronger linkages among African bloggers and position the continent more prominently on the global digital landscape.
