In Malawi’s fast-growing digital age, fame no longer belongs only to musicians and television stars.Now, It lives in smartphones, in viral comedy skits, trending TikTok dances, YouTube interviews and Facebook commentary.
But behind the viral fame lies a painful reality as many of Malawi’s most followed content creators live with thousands of likes, and millions of views but empty pockets.
This is the paradox of Malawi’s entertainment industry today.
Creators drowning in Likes, while bills go unpaid
Across Malawi, content creators command large audiences online. Some pages attract hundreds of thousands of followers and videos rack up millions of views.
But unlike creators in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria or Kenya, Malawian creators often reap nothing from their content.
“Most Countries are doing better than Malawi. Here, our art aren’t monetized,” said Mwiza Mphande, a social media influencer and content creator.
In an exclusive interview with The Atlas Mphande said that even when content reaches millions of views, creators in Malawi cannot benefit financially because these monetization options are unavailable locally.
He said; “Other content creators are better off. They do make money through whatever they post or share but here it is a different story, for we just gain likes and a million of views for nothing.”
Similarly, a comedian and contempolary content creator, Jadidi said creators are stuck in a cycle where popularity does not translate into income.
He lamented that despite using alot of resources to produce his content, he remains excluded from earning opportunities available on global platforms.
“Something really needs to be done. I spend a lot of cash on the extra actors like food , transportation and allowances. But It is a game where you just contribute without gaining anything,” he said.
An assessment by a digital tools expert Andrew Pound estimates that if platforms like Facebook were to be monitized, most of the country’s content creators could have been earning almost $680 per month.
He said, for many creators, that amount could mean rent, equipment upgrades, and a sustainable career.
“The way platforms like YouTube and tik tok work , our content creators would have earned alot of money. For example, when you’re live streaming things and people get to like or react through a love emoji, those in monitized countries, translet Into money and it is around 1 to 3 dollars per like. The contents that we post everyday in our country has 4 to 20 thousand likes,” he said
This means they would have been getting close to $ 70 dollars per week and in a month they would have been earning $380.
Caught Between Fame and offline hardships
This reality exists in a country already battling high poverty levels, with about 70 percent of Malawians living on less than $2.15 per day, according to global economic data. For content creators, this makes the struggle even more painful.
Initially, in a telephone interview Sam Magwira, a renowned Tik Toker told The Atlas that lack of proper ways to monitize his content renders him into an ocean of financial challenges.
“As a content creator I face struggles when it comes to content shooting, there are contents that force me to find a location that requires transport. But lack of Funding offers me no space for that. Now with financial humps it’s always hard. I reach a point where I just want to throw everything away,” he said.
While Magwira tries to push for proper channels despite challenges , Blessings Chisuse of Ankolo Opanda Masozi threw in the towel. It’s been two years since he was last seen on Tik tok and Facebook leaving his 164 000 followers wondering about his disappearance.
” It would cost me MK 11, 000 daily to stay active on social media.
I used to consume 10 GB a day using Airtel. A week required about MK77, 000. In a month , i was using about MK 330, 000 – excluding transport and other expenses.
For a student like me, It wasn’t workable. So I quit to focus on survival,” said Chisuse.
Previously, Videographer Khama Mbaula previously said that despite content being widely consumed on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, creators gain nothing financially, even though advertisers still pay those platforms using Malawian audiences.
He further warned that many talented creators are discouraged from producing quality content because there is no financial reward.
“At least if there was something we get, then we could have been working hard but now we don’t have where to claim our money,” He said.
MACRA Promises Change as authorities bang heads
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has acknowledged the challenge and says it has begun engaging stakeholders.
In a recent engagement with creatives, MACRA Acting Director General Mayamiko Nkoloma said the authority is engaging global partners such as Meta and Google to unlock monetization opportunities for Malawian creators.
Nkoloma acknowledged that many local creators do not receive revenue from their content, forcing some to register their accounts in other countries to qualify for monetization.
” We know that there are alot of things to be worked on. We can’t sit down and relax, we are trying to engage relevant authorities to know how best we can chip in.
This is an opportunity to be part of a landmark conversation about content monetisation and help shape what it means for creators acrooss the country,” Nkoloma said.
Artists Remain Skeptical
Artists have treaded doubts on the matter. They say this would marterialize if it is well and systematically implemented.
Mphande in a follow up interview said; ” MACRA has talked about engagement sevral times but to no avail.This time around, the discussion will decide.”
For Chisuse, the promise sounds uncertain.
“I doubt if this can work anytime soon. I just hope it becomes a reality,” he said.
Fatsani Chimvumbi, another content creator widely known on tik tok, described the development as a milestone but said it will turn out to be deathbed for emerging talents should MACRA backtrack.
Meanwhile, Jadidi urged government to vigorously fasten the talks and find a solution.
Authorities insist they have heads up
Minister of information and Digitization Shadreck Namalomba has told us that the issue is among circumstances that have been doubled crucial by his ministry.
“We are engaging stakeholders and i am telling you this issue will soon be controlled,” Said the minister.
Experts share thoughts
Earlier statements from MACRA noted that monetization challenges are linked to factors such as low smart device penetration and limited digital consumption, but progress is being made through policy and infrastructure improvements.
The authority has further encouraged creators to diversify revenue streams, including e-commerce, digital marketplaces, and local partnerships while broader monetization discussions continue.
But Pound says if Malawi enables monitization of content on social platforms it would be able to generate forex since the revenue is earned in dollars.
“This is not a joke thing. It could be a tool to forex generation. These content creators could be earning dollars and when it is exchanged to Kwacha then government would also earn it’s part,” he said.
According to information sourced on Wikipedia, Malawi can move to monitize it’s social platforms through developing local monetisation platforms and improving digital infrastructure.
And as Malawi’s digital stars continue to rise, one question remains: Will Malawi’s entertainment industry finally turn likes into livelihoods?
