.....Eswatini's domestic market small- Digital Economy Analyst
The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology has launched a national drive encouraging content creators in Eswatini to register on the National Content Creators Register.
The initiative, announced earlier today forms part of the Ministry’s broader digital transformation agenda aimed at building a national database of creators across entertainment, lifestyle, sports, education, business and digital media.
According to the Ministry, the register will help improve engagement between Government and creatives while opening opportunities for collaboration, industry support and future digital economy initiatives.
The move comes as Eswatini intensifies efforts to position local creators within the global content monetisation space, where digital creators increasingly earn revenue through platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and subscription-based services.
Speaking during the recent Business Eswatini Indaba themed Leveraging ICT to Spur Private Sector Growth and Competitiveness, Minister for ICT Savannah Maziya said Eswatini could no longer afford to remain behind while other countries advanced in digital content monetisation.
She acknowledged that countries such as South Africa had already made significant progress in ensuring creators benefit financially from online content while Eswatini had been slow to enter the space.
“We were late entering the digital monetisation space, but we are now working aggressively to ensure Emaswati creators are not excluded from opportunities already benefiting creators in other countries,” said the minister.
Maziya revealed that Government is currently engaging major global digital companies and hyperscalers, including Google, which owns YouTube, as part of ongoing discussions around monetisation opportunities for local creators.
She disclosed that further engagements are expected in June and expressed optimism that local creators could begin seeing direct benefits from digital platforms before the end of the year.
“The digital economy requires deliberate long-term investment, but we are determined to ensure Emaswati, particularly young people and women, are included in the future of digital business and content creation,” she said.
The minister also stressed that content creation has evolved beyond social media entertainment and should now be recognised as a legitimate economic sector capable of creating employment, marketing products and distributing information at scale.
Her remarks come at a critical moment for Eswatini’s entertainment and digital industries, where more creators are turning to podcasts, online shows, influencer marketing and independent digital publishing as alternative income streams.
In another major development for the sector, MTN Eswatini recently launched the Eswatini Content Hub, a digital platform designed to help local creators monetise audio and video content through subscriptions.
The platform allows creators to earn revenue directly from paying subscribers, with future plans expected to include advertising opportunities to create additional income streams for artists, podcasters, filmmakers and digital media personalities.
The Eswatini Content Hub will feature local content across categories including entertainment, health, education, business, sports and lifestyle.
According to the Ministry the launch signals a growing shift toward formalising digital creativity into sustainable business opportunities as more Emaswati creators seek financial independence through online platforms.
Meanwhile Local creators and entertainment personalities have welcomed Government’s renewed focus on digital monetisation, describing it as a long-overdue intervention for an industry that has often operated without structure or financial support.
Content creator PeyModelling praised Minister Maziya’s commitment to pushing digital monetisation conversations at national level.
“She could have easily ignored this issue, but instead she is actively pushing for solutions. Monetisation will take time and creators must understand that it will not happen overnight. In the meantime, we also need to focus on brand partnerships, endorsements and diversifying our income streams,” she said.
Media personality SingMahle described the initiative as a timely intervention for young creatives and entrepreneurs increasingly entering the digital content space.
“The push for monetisation comes at the right time. More young people are creating content and building audiences online. If implemented properly, this could create real economic opportunities while helping creators grow professionally,” he said.
Entertainment commentator and Comedian Dr Shakes said initiatives such as the Eswatini Content Hub could help professionalise the country’s creative industry and create financial sustainability for local talent.
“Creators in Eswatini have consistently produced quality content despite limited support structures. If these initiatives receive proper investment, marketing and long-term commitment, they could elevate the creative sector into a recognised contributor to the national economy,” he said.
Worth noting, globally, the creator economy has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry powered by digital advertising, subscriptions, influencer partnerships and audience-supported platforms.
Across Africa, countries including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have seen rapid growth in monetised digital content, particularly in entertainment, music, comedy, lifestyle and podcasting.
For Eswatini, the latest developments represent a significant attempt to ensure local creators are not left behind as the global digital economy continues to expand.
........Eswatini domestic market small- Digital Economy Analyst
When sought for a comment, digital economy and social media analyst Angela Miller-Dlamini, who runs a consultancy in South Africa, did not mince her words.
"Look, the honest truth is that Eswatini's content creators are talented the problem was never the content. The problem is the ecosystem they're creating in," she said.
Miller-Dlamini pointed to platform exclusion as the biggest culprit, noting that major platforms like TikTok and Meta have locked African creators out of their monetization programs entirely.
"No matter how many views you get, the money just doesn't flow back to you the same way it does for a creator in the US or Europe," she explained.
She further highlighted the cost of data as a crippling double burden.
Not only does it make it expensive to create and upload content, but it also shrinks the local audience.
She further mentioned that, people can't afford to be online freely.
Beyond connectivity, Miller-Dlamini described a landscape stacked against creators, citing a small domestic market, dysfunctional payment platforms, and broadband infrastructure still largely controlled by a state-owned entity with little incentive to lower prices.
"It's a compounding problem you're fighting the algorithm, the geography, and the infrastructure all at once," she said.
She was careful not to end on a hopeless note. By saying creators who are breaking through are the ones thinking beyond local borders, building niche audiences globally.
"Fix affordable data, platform inclusion, and accessible payment systems and Eswatini's creator economy could genuinely surprise the world," she said.
The Analyst noted that, while Government pushes for greater participation in the digital space and private companies begin investing in creator-focused platforms.
Many within the entertainment industry believe the country may finally be entering a new era where content creation is recognised not simply as a hobby, but as a viable career path and economic driver.
Creators wishing to join the National Content Creators Register can apply through the Ministry’s online registration platform.
Register here: https://forms.gle/feUuxgrhs1tafZ4M7
