The creative economy in Kenya is growing at a remarkable pace.
African storytellers need a platform like ANDIKA [Opinion]
The platform has two sides, a Writer’s side, and an Industry Professionals' side
Not only are audiences getting more invested in what the Kenyan artists are putting out – but on-demand streaming has also opened up the space making it easier for creatives to go direct-to-audience. While there’s no scientific backing to this statement, it’s quite safe to say that there has never been a better time to be an artist in Kenya.
If you sing well, there are platforms which can make you an instant star! If you’re talented at drawing or painting, social media can get you noticed half across the world! If you’re an actor, a skit gone viral can change your life forever!
But what if you write?
While certain social media platforms provide features for long-format articles, few of them provide the network, security and discoverability that a new online platform dubbed Andika, claims to provide writers.
Allow me to break it down for you:
The platform has two sides, a Writer’s side, and an Industry Professionals' side.
Once you sign up as a writer, you’ll get an opportunity to submit up to 10 projects or ideas which must be original and copyrighted by the Kenya Copyright Board (Kecobo).
An industry professional (producer, publisher, or agent) will log in on their side, view the projects, review them and they have a chance to offer the writer a work opportunity.
This is a first in Kenya, and indeed the continent of Africa
Such a platform has been a long time coming, especially for developing countries such as Kenya.
While it’s widely believed that by promoting the creative industry in Africa we’ll lift a lot of young people from poverty, we still haven’t done enough aside from policies and ‘workshops’.
It’s surely time to roll our sleeves and get invested in activities or projects that are out to make a tangible difference.
When you look at it, global streaming giants are competing for the African market. These corporations understand that the purchasing power in these parts of the world is low, and most families can only afford to pay for one of the numerous options there is, to choose from – the only way to stand out and win, is to tell authentic African stories in a contemporary and skilled manner. But to do that, you first need writers and ideas.
That’s where Andika comes in.
As Founder and Copyright Holder for the Andika platform, I'm quite optimistic about the change and disruption that this platform will bring.
If you think about it, Andika sits at a very interesting space in the creative ecosystem in this country. It has something to offer writers, it provides the government some value by getting more young people invested in the creative economy, and it also supports publishers, producers or agents with meeting talented writers and great ideas! It’s a win-win for everyone!
Explore the Andika platform here and let me know what you think about it!
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