The debate around social media monetisation in Malawi is gaining momentum as local digital content creators remain on the sidelines while their African peers’ earn real income from Big Tech platforms.
During the recent engagement, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) told local content creators that discussions are ongoing with global platforms such as Meta and YouTube.
This signals that the door is not yet closed.
Kenya’s experience since 2023 shows that government-led dialogue can help open monetisation pathways.
However, if monetisation opens today, are Malawian content creators ready to benefit fully?
Honestly, no.
There are flashes of excellence and some local creators already produce content that meets international standards in terms of storytelling, production quality, originality and consistency.
Their work could compete well with monetised content from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. These creators understand that platforms do not pay for popularity alone, but reward value, audience retention, originality, consistency, engagement quality, policy compliance and advertiser-friendly environment.
Digital platforms use these standards to assess creators and determine a country’s readiness or eligibility for monetisation.
Unfortunately, much of Malawi’s digital content culture is about chasing numbers—followers, likes and views—with little regard for standards.
This is typical of smaller markets where digital skills ecosystems are still developing.
If monetisation arrives without adequate preparation, many creators will remain excluded and the lamentations may quickly shift from “Malawi is not monetised” to “monetisation is unfair”.
While government engagement with platforms must continue, creators themselves must confront these realities.
The State has a role in setting the necessary digital infrastructure and policies, including a Digital Economy and Creative Industry Framework that recognises content creation as legitimate economic activity. However, creators have an even bigger task: To prepare.
Looking at countries that have succeeded, the difference is not talent, but strategy and investment. Treat the long wait for the day Meta, TikTok or YouTube will formally start paying for original content from Malawi as a preparation window.
1. Creators must shift from chasing numbers to building value. Followers, likes and views create visibility, but platforms monetise trust, consistency and retention.
Content that attracts clicks but fails to hold attention or violates community standards will never qualify, regardless of audience size.
Creators must ask hard questions: Does this content offer value beyond going viral? Would international advertisers feel safe placing their brands here?
2 Mind professionalism. It is no longer optional. Monetisation favours creators who treat content as a business. This means clear niches, consistent schedules, defined branding and improved production quality.
Professionalism does not require expensive equipment, but proper planning, discipline and intentional storytelling.
3. Creators must learn to read data. Successful creators study their dashboards closely; watch time, drop-off points, audience geography and engagement patterns and use these insights to refine their content.
4. Content must travel beyond borders without losing identity. Malawian stories are powerful if told in ways that resonate globally.
Successful creators do not abandon culture, they package it for broader understanding and global audiences.
The key question is not “Will Malawians like this?” but “Can someone in Nairobi, London, Atlanta, Melbourne or Greenland understand and enjoy this?”
5. Creators must collaborate rather than compete blindly. Fragmentation weakens the ecosystem. Collaboration strengthens visibility, skills transfer and credibility, especially partnerships with creators from other countries.
The uncomfortable truth is that monetisation will not blindly lift everyone, but will surely reward preparation.
Engaging Meta, YouTube and other platforms is essential, but Big Tech monetisation should not be treated as a magic switch that will automatically turns creativity into dollars once flipped.
It is the final stage of a long value chain.
If Malawi is to earn meaningfully from the global creator economy, preparation—technical, creative and strategic, must start now. Otherwise, monetisation may arrive, but too many creators will still be watching from the sidelines.
