Milkah Ndungu, a content creator, has learned to see the patterns. From her home in Karatina, Nyeri County, she has mapped an amiable digital income, which most times has dry spells and the sweet relief of a consistent retainer.
“The digital ecosystem can be very unpredictable,” she says. But despite all, she has built a business that now supports her family and attracts clients not only in Nyeri but also across Kenya, Tanzania, the US, and China. This she does through a simple Android phone, a laptop she bought on loan, Wi-Fi and a light.
For Milkah, now in her early 30s, the key is the retainer—a contract for six months, or a year. It is a financial anchor. “Prepare your mind when you're getting into this market. You should live within your means such that even if one client withdraws, you will still be able to live comfortably.”
The founder of Dynasty Empire and Voice Digital KE says her toughest lessons have been in the discipline of money: the constant need to save, the art of pricing her worth, and the delicate balance of keeping her business fluid and functional and understanding the human economy around her rural community.
To grow her clientele, Milkah has crafted packages for every tier: the ‘Kingdom Package’ for church groups who operate on faith, the ‘Ripple Effect’ for established companies and politicians, and a patient, empathetic plan for the hawkers.
“I tell that woman selling tea leaves, ‘Pay me 50 bob each day’,” she says. It is a modest sum, but it is a start. “I had a farmer who was paying me with five eggs daily to create their content. I would then resell the eggs.”
Milkah Wambui Ndungu is a content creator based in Karatina, Nyeri County. Milkah, is the founder of Dynasty Empire and Voice Digital KE
Photo credit: Pool
She is among a growing number of Kenyans carving out a living in the new gig economy, one post, one video, one Sh50 payment at a time.
Research shows the creative economy is growing, with the median annual salary for content creators estimated at about Sh2.7 million.
This is an answer to a youth unemployment rate stubbornly perched at 67 percent and the fact that 75 percent of Kenyans under 35 struggle to find meaningful work.
But how does one build not just a following, but a living? How does passion become a pay slip? How does one follow the money and clinch global deals?
The mind shift
The journey begins with a fundamental, often painful, mindset shift.
Sharon Machira, a media and digital entrepreneur and host of one of East Africa’s most listened-to podcasts, learned this the hard way.
“The biggest misconception is that your followers directly correlate to how much value you bring,” she says. “Another misconception is that you can't earn a comfortable living as a content creator,” Sharon said at an Absa Kenya webinar, dubbed ‘Creative Economy Monetisation: A blueprint for businesses and Creators.
She recalls a time when the money from brand deals felt like pocket money, spent as quickly as it came. “I was broke for a very long time before I realised that actually I can't live like this,” she admits. Her ‘aha’ moment arrived in a wave of financial distress, pushing her to sign up for an entrepreneurial course.
The lesson? “You are actually running a business!”
This means building a rate card not on whimsy, but on cold, hard expenses. “You need to pay a videographer, I need to pay a makeup artiste, I need to pay my rent,” the ex-BBC journalist says. “So you put that onto your rate card and then you add an extra percentage.”
This business-like approach transforms a creator from a supplicant into a professional. “If that brand does not meet that, I always say maybe it's not the best idea to take that brand deal,” she advises. “At some point you'll realise you're underselling yourself.”
Sharon Machira, is a media and digital entrepreneur and host of the podcast: It's Related, I Promise
Photo credit: Pool
The market demand
For Martin Muli, a digital thought leader, this professionalisation is being driven by the market itself. “A few years ago, you’d not get a creator saying you need to pay me Sh100,000,” he says. “It used to be a conversation of barter trade.”
Now, brands are recognising the value of the attention creators control. Collaborations have evolved into sophisticated affiliate marketing, social commerce, and long-term ambassadorships.
Martin is also the CEO of Techie and a digital marketing and e-commerce trainer.
Experts note that the creator economy in 2025 is defined by a strategic diversification of revenue streams, moving beyond reliance on a single platform or sporadic brand deals.
While sponsorships and platform ad revenue remain foundational, the most significant growth emerges from direct-to-audience models like affiliate marketing with its streamlined tools, the sale of digital products, and fan-funded subscriptions that build resilient, paying communities.
This shift is powered by the rising value of micro-influencers like Milka, whose highly-engaged, niche followings are proving uniquely lucrative for commerce.
“We’re seeing brands focusing on regional or specialised influencers — even micro or community-based ones, like matatu influencers — not just mega-celebrities. These key opinion leaders are trusted within their circles and respected for their expertise,” says Martin.
The key
The key for a creator is to understand their community’s value. “You need to define your audience geographically,” Martin advises, suggesting the use of platform analytics.
“You might find that, say, 50 percent of your followers are in Kenya, but a large number are in South Africa or another country.” That data is negotiating power.
Martin adds that the key is to move beyond vanity metrics. “Tools like Google Analytics or the in-built analytics on platforms can help you track where your engagement comes from,” he explains. “Pull that data, put it into a clean presentation... When you share that data with brands, you become more attractive to those that want to sell across multiple markets.”
Martin Muli is a digital thought leader, and CEO of Teki as well as a digital marketing and e-commerce trainer.
Photo credit: Pool
Cheap labour
But knowing your worth and getting it are two different battles, especially when dealing with international clients.
Tracy Muthoka, a marketing and leadership consultant with 11,000 followers on LinkedIn, voices a common frustration. “The main problem is that Africa is known for cheap labour,” she says. “So, whenever you’re asking for compensation, you find that what the client had in mind is not what you’re supposed to do.”
This is compounded by the isolation of being a pioneer. “I’m often the only Kenyan in the space. It makes me feel like an island, and I sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome.”
The solution, according to creator Tonee Ndung’u, is to stop presenting as an African creator and start presenting as a global citizen. “When I started,” he shares, “my rate card was around Sh50,000 to Sh60,000 per engagement. Now, it’s in dollars only.”
His secret was niching down into AI and entrepreneurship with precision. “There are many clients we say no to, because you don’t need 50 or even 20 clients — you just need two or three good ones.”
The power of positioning
Tonee says one of the biggest lessons he’s learned in content creation is the power of positioning. “When you present yourself as an African, you get African rates. When you present yourself as a European, you get European rates,” he says. “But when you present yourself as a global citizen, the whole rate system changes — it no longer matters where you come from.”
Tonee now commands six-figure fees for his services, something that seemed impossible just 12 months ago. “It’s all about precision and mastering your niche.”
Platform monetisation
While brand deals are a primary focus, platform monetisation offers a trickle of income.
As creator Purity Kimotho, who has 35,000 followers in the automotive niche, has found, it’s often not enough. “My account is already monetised. But when I look at the figures, the returns are minimal given the amount of content I create.”
Sharon says one should go beyond platform monetisation to make money. “The money you make directly from YouTube or even other platforms isn’t much... The real money is in brand deals.”
For context, while Kenya leads Africa in YouTube creation with over 400 channels boasting 100,000+ subscribers and some earning over Sh1 million monthly, this is the exception, not the rule.
The barriers include delayed payments, access to credit, and a lack of formal contracts to the simple struggle of being taken seriously; the informal nature of the work takes a toll.
“One of the challenges we face is consolidating all the business activities,” says Erastus Muthura, Head of SME Banking at Absa Kenya, adding, “People in the creative industry often have income coming from different channels and different forms… when we don’t have full visibility, it becomes a challenge.”
Banks have now started building initiatives which offer training and market linkages, and financial products like multi-currency cards tailored for digital earners and instant loans. “The more we treat creative work as a business,” Erastus says, “the easier it becomes for the bank to tailor the right solutions.”
Where to start
For those wondering where to start, the answer is simple: build a community, not just a following. “The money is where the value is. If there’s no value, nobody’s going to pay you,” Sharon says.
Sharon Machira, is a media and digital entrepreneur and host of the podcast: It's Related, I Promise
Photo credit: Pool
“So, the question really is, where is the value, not where is the money? Because brands pay for your community as a creator.”
She points to the example of ‘We Run Nairobi’, a running club with a community of 500 that commands impressive brand deals because of the tangible, trusted community it has built.
Then there is thinking beyond Kenyan borders.
“The international market is where the real money is,” Sharon says. She encourages creators to use analytics to identify international audiences and to travel if possible.
“We sometimes think Kenya is a huge market, but it’s not — it’s small in terms of rate cards and potential. Think beyond Kenya. The world is your oyster.” This means localising content for a global audience, perhaps by adding English captions to Swahili videos. “If you don’t globalise your brand, you’re leaving money — dollars, pounds, yen, and more — on the table.”
Building an enterprise
The pressing question for most in this gig sector is: How can I build an enterprise out of the influence I’ve cultivated?
“Take your craft seriously. Treat your creative venture as a business, not just a hobby or side gig. See the big picture — act local, but think global,” says Erastus.
“Be consistent in your postings, stay mentally prepared, avoid clout chasing—likes aren’t everything—know your niche, document everything when dealing with clients, and don’t get too attached to customers,” advises Milkah, who is now formalising her business, a step she sees as essential not just for winning larger corporate contracts that demand proper documentation, but for a more profound reason: to create employment opportunities for other young people in her community.
“Collaborate and network with the right people,” says Tonee, who was able to visit Estonia courtesy of such a collaboration.
