Young South Africans Turn Social Media Followings Into Real Businesses Beyond Brand Sponso

Weza Matomane has a direct way of describing what is happening to South Africa’s creator economy. “Creators are becoming the new broadcasters,” he says, pointing to the audiences they attract and the influence they hold over digital culture. The director of the South African Social Media Awards (Sasma) is watching a generation of young people build genuine businesses from smartphones and internet connections, and he believes the sector is ready for something bigger than brand deals.

That ambition runs headlong into a structural problem. Most creators depend on individual brand partnerships and monetisation systems controlled by platforms like TikTok and Meta. Unlike established broadcasters with entrenched commercial systems, individual creators have almost no leverage when those platforms adjust their algorithms, advertising rules or payout policies. A single policy change can reshape a creator’s income overnight.

The stakes are high in a country where youth unemployment stood at 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa. Content creation offers a real entrepreneurial pathway for young people, one that does not require capital or credentials to begin. Turning an audience into a sustainable business, though, demands consistency, production skills, marketing and commercial partnerships, none of which come automatically.

Matomane’s answer to the leverage problem is collective organisation. “If you go alone to TikTok or Meta, it’s business as usual,” he says. “But once it is a united voice speaking, we can start to implement real change and negotiate policies with big industry players.” Sasma is positioning itself as that united voice, arguing that the sector needs greater investment and collaboration between creators, brands, platforms and government.

Meanwhile, the commercial landscape is shifting in creators’ favour. Brands are increasingly turning to digital creators to reach consumers, and creators are building businesses around advertising, podcasts, events and other revenue streams. This year’s Sasma theme, “Culture in Motion”, reflects how digital platforms have changed the way music, fashion and entertainment are produced and distributed. Amapiano has shown how a South African cultural movement can reach international audiences without traditional media gatekeepers, while podcasts and online video have allowed creators to build communities on their own terms.

All of it depends on connectivity. OpenServe operates more than 180,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure and connects 97% of municipalities. The company is expanding into townships and previously underserved areas to widen access to high-quality fibre, with plans to invest in smarter technologies and greener networks while keeping services affordable. Slungile Mlambo, OpenServe’s marketing and communications executive, says the company’s partnership with Sasma reflects its role in providing the infrastructure that allows people to participate in the digital economy. “Connections start with us,” she says, adding that online access to education and skills development represents another way connectivity can open doors for young people.

The venue for the Sasma nominee announcement, Urban Playground in Rosebank, captures the overlap between culture and commerce that defines this moment. The space brings together retail, street fashion, gaming, sports and podcasting, several parts of the youth economy occupying the same room.

The 2026 awards introduce a Digital Connector Award, with OpenServe and Telkom Group staff selecting a creator from the full field of Sasma nominees. The winner will be announced at the OpenServe Sasma Awards ceremony in November.

The question the industry has not yet answered is whether the influence creators have built can be converted into sustainable commercial value at scale, and whether the infrastructure and collective structures needed to support that conversion will reach enough South Africans in time to matter.