Opinion: Deep Inequities, Unfair Practices Hindering Kenyan Creators

(MENAFN- PRovoke) Elsa Majimbo's rise from Nairobi, Kenya to global fame is an influencer success story. Her satirical monologues, featuring her signature sunglasses and unapologetic humor, went viral during the 2020 lockdown, earning her over 2.5 million followers and brand deals with Valentino, Fenty, and MAC Cosmetics. Majimbo's journey proves that social media can be a launchpad for African creators into digital entrepreneurship.

Yet, for many aspiring influencers in Kenya, replicating Majimbo's success remains elusive. The digital landscape in Kenya is booming, but behind the glitz and glamour lie deep inequalities and structural challenges that make global success like Majimbo's the exception rather than the rule. To truly harness the potential of Kenya's influencer economy, collaboration between brands, platforms, and policymakers is essential for fostering a more equitable environment, ensuring that all creators have the opportunity to thrive.

The Thriving Kenyan Creator Economy

Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, is considered one of Africa's most influential cities, with a thriving tech, commercial, and financial hub – earning it the nickname Silicon Savannah. With 12.9 million social media users in 2023, platforms like Google , Meta , Amazon, and Netflix are investing in Kenya's creator economy. Agencies such as Wowzi and AIfluence connect brands with creators, making influencer marketing lucrative.

Yet, beneath the glamour lies what I call “the glamourized divide” - the gap between aspirational portrayals of social media success and the harsh realities of digital labor.

An Unequal Playing Field

I've interviewed several Nairobi-based influencers, I uncovered several challenges they face:

• Unfair compensation : Many influencers receive free products instead of actual pay. Policies like the Digital Service Tax must consider the complexities of digital labour.
• Exploitative agencies : While influencer agencies promise fair pay, some take excessive commissions, promoting unfair competitive processes.
• Favoritism and exclusivity: The industry is dominated by a handful of influencers, making it difficult for newcomers to break through. The 2022 launch of Rihanna's Fenty Beauty in Kenya sparked controversy over“influencer recycling,” where the same personalities are repeatedly chosen for campaigns.
• Lack of contracts and payment delays : Many influencers work without formal agreements, facing delayed or withheld payments. This problem is fueled by the unregulated legal frameworks to legitimize the creator economy.
• Cost of visibility: Pressure to adopt Western aesthetics raises concerns about eroding Kenyan cultural identity. Many influencers undergo extreme measures to fit global beauty standards.
• Cyberbullying: Majimbo faced severe colorism, forcing her to leave Kenya. Many other creators, particularly women, experience relentless trolling, body shaming, and sexual harassment online, putting their safety at risk.
• Internet challenges: While major cities have 4G and 5G connectivity, WiFi dead zones, high data costs, and power rationing issues hinder content creation.

What can be done?

According to the Africa Creator Economy Report 2024, Africa's creator economy is valued at $3.08 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $17.84 billion by 2030. To legitimize and sustain this growth, a multi-stakeholder approach is necessary. Here are some suggestions:

Legal and policy reforms:

• Establish a regulatory body similar to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to oversee influencer-brand relationships.
• Introduce a Freelancers Act or Influencers Act to formalize labor rights and enforce ethical brand deals.
• Harmonize and update existing policies, such as the Data Protection Act (DPA) , Digital Service Tax (DST) and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Ac to protect influencers from double taxation, cyberbullying, and exploitative labor practices.
• Provide affordable internet access to support the growing digital economy.

Fair and transparent industry practices:

• Brands must ensure transparency in contracts to prevent breaches, blacklisting, discrimination, and precarious labor.
• Diversifying influencer partnerships can create equal opportunities for emerging creators.
• Influencer agencies should collaborate with creators to foster a symbiotic relationship among brands, platforms, and the government.

Strengthening community and advocacy:

• Kenyan influencers should form creator unions to advocate for fair wages, better contracts, and online safety.
• Digital platforms must prioritize safety features to protect creators from online harassment and gender-based violence
• Government agencies, such as The Communications Authority and The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, should work with content creators to organically showcase and preserve Kenyan culture.

Conclusion

Majimbo's success is inspirational, but it is also an exception. Kenya's digital economy holds immense potential, but the glamorized divide presents significant challenges. A sustainable and inclusive creator economy requires collaboration between brands, platforms, policymakers, academia, and the government, to develop fair pay structures, ethical industry standards, and better infrastructure.

Platforms must rethink their creator economy models to align with the socioeconomic realities of emerging markets like Nairobi, while brands must balance investments with influencer career sustainability. Influencers should critically assess the promises and demands of digital labor, recognizing the precarious nature of the attention economy. Government should foster equitable policies to legitimize and support the growing influencer economy. Lastly, internet access remains a fundamental barrier, requiring strategic partnerships to enhance connectivity and sustain digital participation.

Together, these elements shape the evolving landscape of Nairobi's creator economy, underscoring the need for localized, sustainable solutions.

Wangari Njathi is an assistant professor of integrated marketing communications at Pepperdine University who spent more than a decade working in Kenya's PR and marketing industries. Digital creator economies is among her areas of research.

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