MBABANE - The Ministry of ICT has launched a national drive to register content creators, as government intensifies efforts to formalise Eswatini’s growing digital economy.
The ministry is calling on all digital creators; from influencers and podcasters to TikTok personalities, YouTubers, bloggers and online entrepreneurs, to register under the newly established National Content Creators Register. The ministry says the initiative aims to create a national database that will help government understand the size, challenges and economic potential of Eswatini’s fast-growing creator economy.
According to the ministry, information gathered through the registration process will be used for research, planning and development purposes as Eswatini positions itself within the rapidly expanding global digital economy. The move comes at a time when content creation is increasingly emerging as both a career path and a business model across Africa.
While creators in countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have built thriving digital careers through platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, many emaSwati creators have long complained about limited monetisation opportunities.
Minister for ICT Savannah Maziya has repeatedly stated that Eswatini is now aggressively pursuing reforms aimed at ensuring that local creators can earn directly from their online content. Speaking earlier this year during the Business Eswatini Indaba, Maziya admitted that the country had fallen behind global monetisation trends. “We missed the curve, but now we are fighting to ensure emaSwati get their rightful share,” she said.
The minister revealed that government was engaging major global digital platforms and technology companies, including Google, in efforts to create monetisation pathways for local creators. “The digital economy is a long process, but Eswatini’s advantage lies in bringing in key players like Google and encouraging platforms such as TikTok to ensure emaSwati, especially women and youth, are not left out,” she said.
Maziya has consistently framed digital transformation as a key pillar of Eswatini’s economic future. At an international digital summit last year, she highlighted the ‘Government in Your Hand’ programme, a digital platform designed to bring government services onto mobile devices and online systems.
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Local and fast-growing creator, Luke VanderWal.