Premium
Sh770 million payout: How Wowzi is investing in African micro influencers
Wowzi President and Co-Founder Mike Otieno pose for a photo at his office in Nairobi on May 15, 2024.
Kenyan influencer marketing firm Wowzi says it has paid out more than $6 million (Sh770 million) to influencers through brand-paid gigs.
Founded in 2020 by Kenyans Brian Mogeni and Mike Otieno, the platform has so faronboarded 200,000 influencers across 17 African countries where it operates.
A significant share comes from East Africa, with 70,000 creators from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with Kenya leading the pack.
“What we do at Wowzi is we connect content creators and influencers to brands, and help them monetise their followership. It’s one thing to have an audience on social media, and it’s another thing to actually make money from it. We have more than 200,000 influencers on the platform and about 210 brands constantly running campaigns. Since we started, we’ve been able to put close to $6 million (Sh770 million) directly into the pockets of African content creators,” says Mr Otieno.
Even as debates continue among creators about which social media platforms pay best, Otieno insists there is no universal winner.
“Different platforms serve different needs. Depending on your niche, one platform may be more valuable than another. If you’re a food creator like Dennis Ombachi, you need something highly visual, which is why Instagram and TikTok work best for him. If you’re in thought leadership, platforms like LinkedIn and X make more sense. And for longer, in-depth conversations, YouTube is king. So there is no one clear favourite platform.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
