Dancing in the street: Kenyan capital emerges as content creation hub

By Africanews 

with AP

 

In Kenya, where white-collar jobs seem increasingly elusive, young people are turning to content creation and photography to make a living.

Leveraging technology, many are tapping into social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to stay ahead.

On Sundays, groups of young people can be seen gathering with cameras, dancing in coordinated moves before uploading their content to these platforms.

With 35% of Kenya's population aged between 15 to 34, the United Nations estimates that 67% of this demographic is unemployed.

For 22-year-old Vincent Otieno, content creation offers him and his group of six dancers from Nairobi's slums a crucial income stream.

They earn money through tips from fans on TikTok and advertisements on YouTube, as well as performing at parties.

On average, each group member makes around $120 per month.

“We post on Instagram Tiktok and YouTube where we make around a hundred dollars in a month, which is better than nothing,” Otieno explains.

For 25-year-old street fashion model Caycee Achieng Mboya, also known as Lupita Nyakisumo, social media is a job like any other.

She says her TikTok account, with over 200,000 followers, is a platform where she advertises various products for clients.

In 2022, Nairobi's county government waived all business permits for photographers and filmmakers, deeming them outdated. Previously, licenses from the Kenya Film and Classification Board were required, and failure to comply could result in hefty fines and arrests by law enforcement.

The dynamic trio of 20-year-olds Angeline Muema, Trisha Pangie, and Cecilia Nyambura have been creating content on TikTok for a year.

Angeline, still a college student, expresses doubts about finding a white-collar job after graduation.

“It's better I do these videos and I get something than just staying idle and I am not getting something and at the end of the day, maybe I might graduate, yes, and I won’t get a job. So I better do these videos and I get something," she says.

Together, the trio makes $600 a month, interacting with fans who give them monetary gifts.

Meanwhile, 25-year-old dancer Mark Maranga, who holds a degree in nursing and public health, turned to social media content creation after struggling to find a job.

For him, the platform offers not only income but also a way to avoid social vices.

"Instead of indulging in activities like stealing and robbery, but now it has helped most of the youths, they engage in this activities of dancing and now they have to get something. With the help of the money, the few cash they get, they can go and feed their families," he says.

For many young Kenyans, creating content for social media has become a lifeline, offering hope and financial support in a job market that has left them with few other options.