Juliet Ibrahim, actor, author, filmmaker, and President of Women in Film, TV & Media Ghana (WIFT Ghana), has highlighted the systemic challenges African creatives face in monetising their work on digital platforms.
She made the observation at the Powered by Drive to Inspire — Africa (DTI-A) NextUp breakfast meeting, held at the Accra International Conference Centre on the sidelines of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 on Wednesday, 4th February 2026.
As the name suggests, NextUp emphasises that African youth are next in line for global leadership, economic growth, expanded opportunities, and greater recognition on the world stage.
During the session, the panellists explored the creative economy, with Vanessa Appiagyei, a lawyer, serving as the moderator of the breakfast meeting.
On the state of the creative industry, Ibrahim noted that while Africa, particularly West Africa, produces content consumed globally, artists often receive only a tiny fraction of the revenue generated. “We use social media, we use all these platforms, but we always get the smallest share of what’s being shared,” she said, citing platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
She further explained that piracy remains a persistent problem. Unlike Hollywood, where systems exist to mitigate revenue losses from illegal distribution, African creatives often lack legal frameworks to protect their work. “Even if piracy happens in Hollywood, they still make money.
Here, we don’t have that system,” Ibrahim said, noting instances where her own films were shown on TV stations without authorisation, undermining potential earnings from her YouTube channel.
Ibrahim stressed that structural gaps extend across the creative ecosystem, including film, digital content creation, and social media. She contrasted the experiences of African creators with those abroad, noting that U.S. content creators can earn thousands of dollars from platforms like Instagram for posts with high engagement, while African creators receive little to nothing for similar content.
Ibrahim urged collaboration between creative industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies to establish frameworks that ensure fair monetisation and protect intellectual property. “If Instagram or other platforms want to operate here, are they fighting for us behind the scenes? Are they ensuring our content creators are properly compensated?” she asked.
For Ibrahim, the issue is deeply personal. Having been in the industry since before the era of DVDs, she sees the challenges facing young and emerging creatives and stresses the urgent need for Africans to safeguard their work and livelihoods.
