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Kenyan TikTok creators earn Sh45m in first year of monetisation
TikTok data show that more than 200 Kenyan creators collectively earned over $350,000 (Sh45.1 million) during the year ended January 2026 through partnerships facilitated under its local commercial framework.
Kenyan digital creators earned Sh45.1 million in brand collaborations during the first year of TikTok’s commercial operations in the country, boosting the platform’s local creator economy as advertisers deepen their shift to short-form video.
Data released by the Chinese video-sharing platform show that more than 200 Kenyan creators collectively earned over $350,000 (Sh45.1 million) during the year ended January 2026 through partnerships facilitated under TikTok’s local commercial framework.
The earnings came as the platform marked one year since the launch of ‘TikTok For Business’ in Kenya, a move that formalised advertising sales, creator management and performance marketing support for local brands and agencies.
In January last year, TikTok appointed Dubai-linked digital advertising agency Aleph Holdings to handle its sales and user support operations in Kenya, as part of efforts by the tech giant to enhance proximity to its local audience.
Under the deal, Aleph Holdings was mandated to provide Kenyan businesses with hands-on support and direct access to TikTok, in an effort aimed at simplifying their advertising processes as well as optimising their experience on the app.
The pact also brought on board technology marketplace Wowzi, which was handed the role of creator management partner to empower the local TikTok community.
“Throughout the first year of the platform’s presence in the country, the partnership between ‘TikTok For Business’ and Wowzi enabled more than 200 local creators to earn more than $350,000 through collaborations with local businesses,” TikTok said in a statement.
“As part of its first-year milestone, TikTok is spotlighting early success stories across fintech, e-commerce, retail and consumer goods, showcasing how Kenyan businesses are leveraging the platform to drive measurable impact.”
Kenya ranks among the most active TikTok markets in Africa, with studies showing that more than half of surveyed users log into the app daily.
Within the country, TikTok is the third most popular social network after Facebook and WhatsApp, enjoying 30.3 percent national popularity as of the close of September last year, according to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The platform has increasingly become a space for more than just entertainment, with Kenyan creators driving conversations on entrepreneurship, social causes and culture.
In August last year, Kenya became one of the first African markets to benefit from the unveiling of the ‘TikTok for Artists’ feature, which gives artists access to professional-grade analytics tools previously unavailable on the app.
