YouTube announces 2022 Africa Month programme

The events form part of efforts reaffirming YouTube’s commitment to growing Africa’s creator ecosystem while spotlighting and celebrating creatives driving the continent’s music industry. It also seeks to help participants build audiences around the globe while growing their business and generating revenue.

The series will see aspiring songwriters, producers and content creators across sub-Saharan Africa receive support in the form of virtual and in-person training and workshops to improve their skills as well as scale and grow their channels. These include a Creator 360 virtual workshop, which will allow for collaboration and skill sharing among content creators, and in-person Creator Day workshops led by industry experts.

YouTube has also announced workshops under its Future Insiders Programme to empower budding producers and songwriters with hands-on training. Music producers such as Sarz and Musa Keys have been confirmed as facilitators.

“We’re incredibly proud at YouTube to provide a platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world,” YouTube Europe, the Middle East and Africa managing director for emerging markets Alex Okosi said. “From music, fashion, and beauty to the latest trending movements, YouTube plays an important role in the emergence and expression of Africa’s unique cultural stories to local and global audiences. By commemorating Africa Month through these impactful initiatives, we continue to spotlight and elevate the work of creators and artists who are at the forefront of the continent’s creative explosion."

Meanwhile, the YouTube Africa Day Concert, in partnership with British actor and musician Idris Elba, will feature an in-person event in Nigeria that will be livestreamed on YouTube. Parading notable acts on the Afropop scene, the pan-African concert seeks to use music as a platform for showcasing African culture.

Earlier this year, YouTube named 26 creators from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa and 135 others from around the world in the 2022 #YouTubeBlack voices creator class. The creators will benefit from a $100m fund and dedicated support to help them develop their channels and thrive on the YouTube platform.

In September 2021, YouTube announced the NextUp programme for YouTube creators residing in Nigeria, South Africa and Spain, to help them to improve their productions while expanding their channels.