Africa Month: YouTube Reaffirms Commitments to Creators, Others

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Content creators, aspiring producers, songwriters and others in Africa will continue to receive support and be given priority in order to make them better, YouTube has assured.

In a statement on Monday, the company further promised that it will continue to provide its platform for the growth of Africa’s creator ecosystem so as to showcase the vast talents on the continent to the world.

Already, YouTube has lined up a series of activities to celebrate Africa Month in May, with the YouTube Africa Day Concert, in partnership with Idris Elba, returning for the third year in a row.

The concert will include an in-person event in Nigeria that will be live-streamed on YouTube, featuring some of the continent’s hottest artists. The concert will once again commemorate Africa Day by using music as a platform to showcase African culture.

“We’re incredibly proud at YouTube to provide a platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world,” the Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA, Mr Alex Okosi, stated.

Mr Okosi added that, “From music, fashion, and beauty to the latest trending movements, YouTube plays an important role in the emergence and expression of Africa’s unique cultural stories to local and global audiences.”

“By commemorating Africa Month through these impactful initiatives, we continue to spotlight, and elevate the work of creators and artists who are at the forefront of the continent’s creative explosion,” he further stated.

YouTube has always supported the creative sector in Africa. The platform has promised to put in place virtual and in-person training and workshops for content creators to help them grow their channels and improve their skills.

These include a Creator 360 virtual workshop, which will allow African content creators to collaborate and share skills, and in-person Creator Day workshops, which will be led by industry experts and help aspiring creators learn the skills they need to continue thriving on YouTube.

YouTube will also offer workshops under its Future Insiders Program to empower budding producers and songwriters with hands-on training taught by seasoned producers such as Sarz and Musa Keys.

This is not the first time the video stream channel has supported the industry as its #YouTubeBlackVoices Funds and the YouTube Shorts Fund have provided a $100 million fund designed to reward creators who make creative and unique Shorts for their contributions.

Earlier this year, 26 creators from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa were among 135 creators from around the world who participated in the 2022 edition of #YouTubeBlack voices creator class. The creators receive seed funding alongside dedicated support to help them develop their channels and thrive on the YouTube platform.

Recently, the YouTube NextUp program, which focuses on providing access to learning through one-on-one coaching, workshops and resources was launched to amplify the growth of many successful creators across the region.

YouTube continues to provide a platform for African creators who are dedicated to building audiences across the globe, while also building a business and generating revenue.

Below is a schedule of the events scheduled for Africa Month in May 2022