By Nick Markham

Across the vast landscape of Africa’s booming digital economy, we see a silent revolution taking place. The digital creative sector, long undervalued and undercapitalised, is emerging as a powerhouse of economic transformation. With a youthful population brimming with talent and a continent-wide hunger for representation, we at the Jobtech Alliance are incredibly bullish on Africa’s creators, who are poised to lead a new wave of global cultural influence.

But to harness this immense potential, creators need more than just talent—they need the right tools, platforms, and support systems relevant to the African context to turn their passions into sustainable income streams and employment opportunities. In early 2024, after observing their meteoric rise for a couple of years, we initiated outreach to Selar, a platform we truly believe embodies the future of Africa’s creator economy.

The untapped power of Africa’s creators

Africa’s creative economy, spanning music, film, fashion, and digital content, is no longer confined to local markets. Global recognition is growing, with African artists reshaping music, film, and fashion trends worldwide. However, the infrastructure to support these creators locally, at home, has lagged, creating barriers to entry and scale that have stifled innovation and growth. We think that limited access to global markets, cumbersome cross-border payment systems, and a lack of scalable digital tools have held back millions of African creators from reaching their full potential.

Enter Selar, an eCommerce platform specifically designed for African creators. It offers seamless payment integrations, tip jars, advanced marketing tools, and a rapidly growing Affiliate network. With over 150,000 creators, Selar democratises access to digital creative entrepreneurship, enabling creators to focus on their craft while the platform handles the complexities.

Why global platforms fall short

At Jobtech Alliance, we believe ‘discovery platforms’ like YouTube and Spotify, while globally dominant, are proving ill-suited for most African creators. While they can offer visibility and an opportunity to get discovered, they don’t enable most creators to earn meaningful income. These algorithmic platforms that pay based on views or listens typically concentrate wealth among the top 1%, leaving millions of creators with little to no income, and frequently overlook solving the unique frictions present in local markets. While they have been amazing for Burna Boy and Wizkid, these benefits haven’t trickled down to the masses of African creators.

By contrast, we have seen how global platforms like Patreon demonstrate how empowering creators with direct access to their audiences can be truly transformative, particularly through the “1,000 true fans” model. However, we have found these platforms are not focused on, nor are they well-suited for Africa due to limited payment infrastructure and local challenges. Selar, by contrast, is essentially a Patreon style platform built for the African market, designed to address local frictions while enabling creators to thrive.

Why we invested

We see Selar as more than just a platform; it is a catalyst for change in the African digital landscape. What truly sets Selar apart is its deep understanding of the unique challenges African creators face. Unlike traditional discovery platforms that operate on a winner-takes-all model, Selar empowers creators to fully own their monetisation, offering scalable pathways for creators at every level—not just the elite few.

Our Digital Creative Industry Investment Thesis hinges on several key insights:

1. Limited Domestic Demand: While African culture thrives locally, the purchasing power for content like music or merchandise remains limited. Global discovery platforms, designed for markets with higher disposable income, fail to address this reality. Selar bridges this gap by tailoring its tools to Africa’s purchasing power and market dynamics. It empowers creators to monetise locally, offering practical, accessible models like mobile payments and microtransactions that align with the spending habits of African audiences. By adapting to these constraints, Selar enables creators to thrive where global platforms have fallen short
2. Intense Global Competition: African creators face fierce competition on the global stage, but international platforms often fail to provide the localised tools needed for success. Selar changes this dynamic by offering region-specific solutions that tackle key barriers—such as unreliable payment infrastructure and mobile-first audience engagement. Instead of trying to compete on global platforms where they are outpaced by better-resourced creators, Selar equips African creators with the exact tools they need to scale in their own context and stand out globally.
3. Inequitable Revenue Distribution: Traditional discovery platforms tend to reward only the top tier of creators, leaving the majority with little income. These platforms are complex and introduce unnecessary friction between creators and their audiences. Selar flips this model on its head by giving creators control over their revenue streams. By simplifying the monetisation process and reducing platform-driven obstacles, Selar ensures that more creators can build sustainable careers—fostering a broader, more equitable creative economy in Africa.

Selar’s integration of diverse payment methods—both local and international—eliminates one of the biggest barriers African creators face: getting paid. By accommodating mobile money, PayPal, and other payment methods, Selar ensures creators can access their earnings reliably and securely.

Lastly, one of the standout features of Selar is its use of affiliate marketing, an Africa-appropriate sales channel that reflects a deep understanding of the market. We have seen this not only drives creator sales channels but also creates a multiplier effect in job growth by enabling both creators and affiliates to earn income.

So why Selar, and why now?

In the six years since its inception, Selar has operated as a bootstrapped entity, a testament to the resilience, resourcefulness, and vision of its founder, Douglas Kendyson. This journey underscores a profound understanding of the market and a relentless commitment to serving African creators.

We are immensely proud to be the very first investors in Selar, a clear indicator of the trust the company places in Jobtech Alliance’s Mission and our venture support program. 

The platform’s traction speaks volumes about its impact. Selar has already facilitated over 1.5 million unique sales, generating $16 million in revenue from over 1 million registered users. With over 200,000 creators on board, Selar is democratising digital entrepreneurship for African creators, allowing them to monetise everything from eBooks to courses.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Selar’s growth potential is massive. With millions of African creators eager to monetise their content and expand into new markets, we believe Selar has the opportunity to scale significantly. The platform’s thriving affiliate network and its roughly 60% female creator base highlight Selar’s inclusive approach, fostering diversity and empowering creators from all corners of the continent.

Our concluding thoughts

The journey for African creators is still in its early stages. Competing against global platforms is no small feat, and challenges like limited domestic demand and unequal revenue distribution persist. However, Selar’s approach—equipping African creators with the right tools and global access—positions it as the foundation for sustainable growth.