YouTube to celebrate Africa Month with training events for content creators in Africa

YouTube has announced a series of events to run throughout May in celebration of Africa month where Kenyan and other content creators across Africa will benefit from virtual and in-person training sessions.

The events are intended to grow Africa’s creator ecosystem, and to spotlight and celebrate the artists and creatives who are driving the growth of Afrobeats and Africa’s music industry.

Content creators in Africa will receive support from YouTube through virtual and in-person training and workshops to help them grow their channels and improve their skills. These include a Creator 360 virtual workshop, which will allow African content creators to collaborate and share skills, and in-person Creator Day workshops. They will be led by industry experts and help aspiring creators learn the skills they need to continue thriving on YouTube. YouTube will also offer workshops under its Future Insiders Program to empower budding producers and songwriters with hands-on training taught by seasoned producers such as Sarz and Musa Keys.

The YouTube Africa Day Concert, in partnership with Idris Elba, will return for the third year in a row as part of the Africa Month lineup. The concert will include an in-person event in Nigeria that will be livestreamed on YouTube, featuring some of the continent’s hottest artists. The concert will once again commemorate Africa Day by using music as a platform to showcase African culture.

“We’re incredibly proud of YouTube for providing a platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world. From music, fashion, and beauty to the latest trending movements, YouTube plays an important role in the emergence and expression of Africa’s unique cultural stories to local and global audiences. By commemorating Africa Month through these impactful initiatives, we continue to spotlight, and elevate the work of creators and artists who are at the forefront of the continent’s creative explosion”, says Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA.

The virtual and in-person trainings’ build on past initiatives such as the #YouTubeBlackVoices Funds and the YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100 million fund designed to reward creators who make creative and unique Shorts for their contributions. Earlier this year, Angel Lately, Cheymuv, Mandi Sarro and Justus Nandwa were among 26 creators selected from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa who joined the 2022 #YouTubeBlack voices creator class. The creators received seed funding alongside dedicated support to help them develop their channels and thrive on the YouTube platform.

Recently, the YouTube NextUp program, which focuses on providing access to learning through one-on-one coaching, workshops and resources was launched to amplify the growth of many successful creators across the region. YouTube continues to provide a platform for African creators who are dedicated to building audiences across the globe, while also building a business and generating revenue.

The YouTube Music’s Africa Month 2022 activities are below;