• YouTube has highlighted eight African creators on its platform after challenging them to produce authentic content showcasing their unique heritage, cultures and traditions.
• This is in part of Google’s larger plans for the continent, which includes the digital uplifting of small businesses and creators.
• Creators from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia were chosen to be part of the “Voices of Africa” campaign.

In a bid to promote the channels of African creators on YouTube, and to expose and celebrate Africa’s unique content to the rest of the world, YouTube launched its “Voices of Africa” social campaign, which forms part of Google’s larger plans on the continent.

The Voices of Africa campaign teamed up with a select group of content creators from across the continent, who were challenged to publish videos revealing unique and interesting aspects of their local cultures.

“They have captured their interpretation of cultural heritage through stories about their local traditions and practices, conversations with friends and family, and with people in their local communities,” adds YouTube. As part of the campaign, their videos are now being featured on the Google Africa channel on the video streaming website.

“At YouTube, we have always prioritised and recognised the diverse cultures, creators, artists and content on the platform. The Voices of Africa campaign is an opportunity that allows us to spotlight the uniqueness of Africa’s cultural heritage through the different voices and experiences of creators across the continent,” explains Twala Ngambi, Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube. 

“We’ve encouraged the creators to be as creative as possible, giving them the freedom to craft their heritage stories in a way that will best relate to their audiences as well as showcase their authenticity,” Ngambi added.

Some notable creators include:

• South African Seithati Letsipa, who showcased the cultural practice of Pabadimo, a thanksgiving ceremony in her culture,
• Kenyan Susan Wahome, who shared the secrets behind African cuisine,
• Nigeria’s Stylebereme took her followers on a journey to showcase African Wax prints,
• Ethiopia’s Wongel Zelalem published a loving work dedicated to her country and her heritage,
• Kate Kendy showcased the heritage and culture of the Kenyan countryside,
• Reggie Mohlabi dedicated a video to South Africa’s history, culture and traditions,
• and finally Banele Ndaba from South Africa, took audiences on a journey through their upbringing, opening up a unique slice of life and culture mostly unknown to international viewers.

All the creators chosen are still upcoming, and are quite small compared to massive international names. The content they produce is of high quality, with professional editing and filming. Hopefully, the YouTube campaign can get some more eyes on their content going forward.

We particularly enjoyed a short documentary by Steven on Steroids, who showcased “Dambe,” a type of Nigerian martial art in which combatants fight each other with wrapped-up fists. It’s highly ritualistic and fighters can end up with broken jaws and ribs. We had no idea it existed. Check out that video below:

[Image – Provided]