Namibia says it has done all it can to support digital creators, but the ability for local content creators to earn money from social media platforms still depends largely on decisions made by global tech companies.
Speaking on the Sharefest Podcast, ICT Minister Emma Theofelus said government and institutions such as the Bank of Namibia have already taken steps to create an enabling environment for monetisation, but the final decision remains with the platforms themselves.
“As a country we have done everything in our control. Through the development Bank of Namibia for content to monetized in the country. It unfortunately lies with the platforms themselves,” she said.
The minister explained that Namibia has engaged major platforms directly to open up monetisation tools for local creators, but the response has been limited.
“We have engaged them. They say Namibia is a small market. They do not want to invest money to unlock. As of now for someone who creates content in Namibia to be monetized, they don’t feel like they can make money from such a small market,” she said.
According to Theofelus, government efforts continue, but platforms remain hesitant due to low commercial returns from smaller markets like Namibia.
“So that is where our challenge is. We as a government have engaged them. How can we make it possible, how can we incentivize them to come and properly set up shop, who has access to Facebook or whatsoever, making money. We are constantly in discussion, even because they don’t have any appetite,” she said.
She added that Namibia is actively lobbying for change, but cannot force private companies to open monetisation systems.
“To unlock that there’s nothing the Minister of ICT, the Bank of Namibia is doing to stop that process. If anything we are constantly and actively lobbying companies,” she said.
The minister said the issue is not a lack of political will, but the commercial logic of global platforms.
“Look that for our youth. I don’t want to say it’s out of our control. I would say in the simplest terms it’s out of our control. We are not stopping or hindering appetite. We are engaging them to show them that they need to have an appetite because we consume. We cannot force.”
Structural issue behind the challenge
The situation reflects a wider pattern across smaller African digital markets. Monetisation systems on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Meta are heavily driven by advertising demand. Countries with smaller populations and lower advertising spending often receive lower priority when platforms roll out revenue-sharing features.
For Namibia, this means that even when creators produce viral content, earnings remain limited or inaccessible compared to larger markets. Government officials say discussions with tech companies are ongoing, but no clear timeline has been given for full monetisation access.
