#AfricaMonth: Danilo Acquisto - Nurturing Africa’s creative economy

Danilo Acquisto, CEO and co-founder of video specialist digital agency, Special Effects Media South Africa gives the case for the untapped intra-African trade opportunity in media and marketing (Image supplied)

It requires deliberate investment, bold partnerships and coordination, and a long-term vision that recognises the continent not just as a collection of markets, but as a collaborative economic force.

Africa's economic renaissance

For too long, Africa's role in the global economy has been that of the world's back office—outsourced skills and labour, raw materials, and rich land. While this has created some economic ‘inclusion’, it has also kept African nations largely on the periphery of true value creation.

But what if we reimagined Africa not as a supplier to the world, but as a serious global economic player in its own right?

As South Africans, we've often looked outward for growth—courting markets in the US, UK, and Australia.

Yet, beneath our feet lies a $3.5tr opportunity: the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), aiming to unite 55 countries into a single market of 1.3 billion people.

This isn't just a trade agreement; it's a blueprint for Africa's economic renaissance.

The creator renaissance

We are currently living through a renaissance in African creativity, fuelled by digital platforms that give creators the tools to build careers and reach audiences like never before.

Across the continent, young Africans are picking up cameras, editing content on mobile phones, and sharing stories that have global reach.

Africa's internet economy is projected to reach $180bn by the end of this year, accounting for 5.2% of its GDP.

By 2050, this figure could soar to $712bn, or 8.5% of GDP.A recent report by the Influencer Marketing Hub estimates that Africa’s creator economy is still less than one percent of the global total, but growing rapidly—particularly in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa.

In 2023 alone, content creator earnings in sub-Saharan Africa on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Meta grew by more than 30%. Even in South Africa, the ecosystem is still under-monetised compared to Western counterparts.

This is what we mean by a renaissance—an explosion of untapped talent, audiences, and ideas that are finally becoming economically viable thanks to pixels and bandwidth.

But the infrastructure, trust systems, and support mechanisms needed to scale it are still in their infancy.

For a more personal view, our business (Special Effects Media) has worked on creator education programmes that trained over 3,000 creators across South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. What became immediately clear is that the barriers are not creative—they're systemic.

Payments are difficult. Brand deals are inconsistent. Legal and banking systems don’t always work in the creator’s favour. And yet, the hunger to grow and the calibre of content being produced is world-class.

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Learnings from the frontlines of intra-African work

This is not just theory for us—we’ve done the work.

When assisting one of Africa’s premier OTT streaming platforms with a rebrand and creator campaign, we were surprised by the deep lack of trust among top-tier Nigerian creators.

Unlike South African creators, who typically trust that contracts will protect them, Nigerian talent negotiated 100% upfront payments before work began.

Many were sceptical that contracts could be enforced—especially across borders—and they weren’t wrong.

The legal systems, enforcement mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks vary greatly, and cannot be assumed to function like South Africa’s.

That lesson cost us lots of time, money and trust.

We also experienced immense delays and confusion within the banking system. Payments were returned, delayed by weeks, or lost in opaque processes.

This created tension, undermined trust, and slowed progress.

The lesson? Every market operates by its own logic, and expansion requires deep understanding of local financial, legal, and operational norms.

Assumptions are expensive. You cannot simply decide in three years to expand across the continent overnight—it will be too late. Trust is built over time.

In Nollywood, we were invited to consult on how to monetise digital film distribution via YouTube. Despite the sector being decades ahead of South Africa’s, there was a glaring gap in digital infrastructure and know-how.

The demand for support was enormous, but again, regulatory and payment system issues slowed everything down.

Still, the opportunity was undeniable.

The long game: Building Pan-African networks

Is Africa a good business bet? If you’re looking for short-term returns without long-term investment, maybe not. But if you’re building for the future, there are few regions in the world with as much growth potential.

Let’s connect the dots. Africa has the world’s youngest population, fastest urbanisation rates, and rapidly growing internet penetration.

According to the World Bank, by 2030, 42% of the world’s youth will be African.

As American media and marketing strategies become more nationalistic and saturated, global brands are looking for growth markets elsewhere—and Africa’s burgeoning middle class and digital-savvy youth are becoming impossible to ignore.

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The global influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth $24bn by next year. Africa’s share is currently a sliver of that, but even a small shift in investment towards the continent could yield massive returns.

Companies that build trust now, understand local infrastructure, and establish credibility with creators and audiences will dominate later.

This is not about sentimentality or Pan-African idealism. It’s about business logic.

When large-scale investment lands in Africa, those who have already built networks and proven trust across borders will be the go-to partners.

Multinationals won’t want to operate in just South Africa or Kenya—they’ll want partners who can activate across the entire continent.

Call to action (and a roadmap)

This Africa Month, let's shift our perspective. Africa is not just a source of raw materials or a destination for outsourcing; it's a vibrant, dynamic market brimming with potential.

What do we do now?

• Deep Localisation: We’re not copy-pasting strategies. We’re adapting content, contracts, and campaigns for each market’s unique context.

• Creator Trust Systems: We’re building payment protocols, legal processes, and partnership models that work for creators—especially in lower-trust environments.

• Partnership-Led Expansion: We’re forming alliances with local agencies, media networks, and legal experts to bridge the knowledge and operational gaps.

• Investing in Infrastructure: From better payment systems to local language support, we’re prioritising the building blocks that enable scale.

Our hope? In three years, we aim to be the most trusted creator economy partner in at least three African territories.

Not because we planted a flag, but because we nurtured relationships, delivered real value, and stayed the course.

We believe that success in Africa will not come from tech alone, or even talent alone, but from trust. Trust built slowly, proven consistently, and scaled deliberately.

Let’s build that future together. Let’s #NurtureAfricasCreativeVoice