On August 6, 2024, President William Ruto urged content creators to take advantage of the monetisation of their videos on Meta platforms
Meta, which owns social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp assured that it was addressing a scenario whereby Kenyan musician Michael Bundi revealed that the monetizing of videos on its platforms was yet to take effect.
On August 6, 2024, President William Ruto urged content creators to take advantage of the monetisation of their videos on Meta platforms, stating that his administration would continue seeking more opportunities for the youth to explore their talents.
“Beginning today, Kenyan content creators can monetize their videos on Meta platforms. We urge our creatives to take advantage of this opportunity to not only enhance their incomes but also create job opportunities for others,” Ruto said, adding “We will continue to seek more opportunities for our youth to explore their talents.”
However, as of Sunday, August 19, Bundi took to Threads sharing an email he received from the social media company indicating that the monetization program was yet to take effect in Kenya.
Post by @realmichaelbundi
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“Hi Michael, Thank you for contacting us again. At the moment, you are pre-registered for ad breaks. Your country is not supported at this time but the program is expanding! You will automatically gain access if we expand to your country,” the email read in part.
“Unfortunately, the in-stream ads monetization announced by William Ruto and Moon Baz has not taken effect in Kenya. This is the latest message I have received from Facebook. As a creator, I am very disappointed. No words!” Bundi reacted.
In response, Meta Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AMET) Global Partnerships Lead Moon Baz wrote “We are looking into this”. No further update from either of the individuals was issued on the matter by the time of publishing this story.
In the email, a list of countries supported by the monetization program was provided and Kenya was among them when Viral Tea conducted spot checks.
On August 6, Meta rolled out its in-stream Ads and Ads on reels, allowing content creators on Facebook to earn money from the platform through in-stream ads as well as ads on reels.
“This expansion will empower eligible creators in the vibrant creative industry in Kenya to earn money, whilst setting the bar high for creativity across the world and making Meta’s family of apps the one-stop-shop for all creators,” Baz said in a press release.
Meta explained that the In-stream Ads can play before, during or after on-demand videos, whether it’s pre-recorded content or when publishing a recording of a previous live stream.
The types of In-stream Ads include Pre-roll Ads (which play before a video starts), Mid-roll Ads (which play during videos), Image Ads (static image ads that display beneath the content) and Post-roll Ads (ads which appear at the end of videos).
According to Meta, Ads on Facebook reels integrate seamlessly into original reels, enabling creators to get paid based on the performance of their original reels while entertaining fans.
How To Monetize & Eligibility
To use either of the monetization products by Meta, creators must pass and remain compliant with Facebook’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies.
Institutions, businesses and organisations can also qualify for monetisation, with Meta expressing its desire to arm creators with the best practices on monetization.
To be eligible, one must:
- Have more than 5,000 followers
- Be more than 18 years old
- Have more than 5 active videos on their page
- Collect more than 60,000-minute views in the last 60 days
- Pass monetisation policies & community standards.
President William Ruto during a meeting with officials from Facebook’s mother company Meta and Kenyan content creators at State House, Nairobi on March 18, 2024. /PCS