YouTube celebrates Africa Month, reaffirms commitments to creators and the music industry in Kenya and across Africa

The events are intended to reaffirm YouTube’s commitment to growing 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, which 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.

Musa Keys Selema Pulse Live Kenya

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 135 creator-strong 2022 #YouTubeBlack voices creator class.

Miss Mandii Pulse Live Kenya

The creators receive 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.

For more information on YouTube Music’s Africa Month activities, and to set reminders for upcoming events, see the detailed list below.

YOUTUBE AFRICA MONTH ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
ACTIVITY	WHEN	WHERE
Creator 360	10th - 11th May	Virtual
Creator Day Kenya	31st May	Kenya
Creator Day Mzansi	19th - 20th May	South Africa
Africa Day Concert	25 May	Nigeria
Music Future Insiders Program South Africa	16th - 19th May	South Africa
CreatorDay Naija Aim: Inspire, educate and engage creators	25th May(10 am - 2:00 pm) 26th May 4-9pm	Nigeria
Music Future Insiders Program Nigeria	25th - 27th May	Nigeria
An Evening with YouTube (Content and Cocktails)	26th May 6-9pm	Nigeria
Creator 360	10th - 11th May	Virtual