The digital age has revolutionised entrepreneurship. Gen Zs have been at the forefront of mastering the skill of monetising their social media presence by seizing opportunities to create content, make money and build online communities.
This is not just a passing fad, but a viable career path that can contribute greatly to the growth of the Kenyan economy.
One of the key advantages of this new digital economy is the minimal overheads involved. One only requires the equipment (a phone, ring light, mic and editing software) and an internet connection. This means one can create content and start a business without the huge capital outlay and operating costs that traditional brick-and-mortar firms require.
However, this new digital economy also presents unique challenges. The biggest hurdle is weak or non-existent structures to safeguard their intellectual property rights and ensure they get royalties. The creative economy needs laws and policies to govern the sector and ensure that the revenue generated from it can contribute greatly to the country’s GDP.
Lawmakers need to move fast and create a legal framework for these young entrepreneurs to thrive. It is time to nurture these ideas and new forms of creative works by formulating policies that will enable new media to create meaningful jobs.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the policies that need an overhaul. First up, the music policy. With the rise of new media, we should revisit this policy and make sure it’s in sync with the current landscape. Next, we have the film laws. We need to ensure that they are in line with the needs of the digital age. And while we’re at it, let’s relook at the copyright law, this time with new media in mind.
We also need to strengthen cyber-related laws so that they can adequately protect creatives from cyber threats and online piracy.
As we move deeper into the uncharted waters of this digital revolution, new job titles are popping up right, left and centre, thanks to Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
The possibilities are endless, if only we make sure that digipreneurs are fully supported.
The digital natives of today have created communities with creativity, influence and dedication that cannot be ignored.
With the right environment in place, the brilliant ideas bubbling from the minds of our innovators could soon win Kenya new bragging rights in technology as MPesa and other innovations have done.
The work ahead also involves helping these digipreneurs to build scalable business formats around their unique talents. These business models can then attract venture capitalists, with a positive impact in terms of new jobs and higher national revenue.
