Content creation becoming more than just entertainment

By Micah Mudenda

Content creation is increasingly becoming more than just entertainment for Zambians, with creators turning their online platforms into sources of income while overcoming personal and professional challenges

Speaking during an interview on a podcast with Kenny-T, content creator Teresa Lyainga said she has built a following of about 1.3 million on TikTok after initially turning to content creation as an outlet during a difficult period in her life.

“I started by lip-syncing content from other countries but struggled to attract an audience, at times receiving zero likes and followers for months,” she said.

Lyainga said she was encouraged by a people who recognised her potential, although she initially feared being embarrassed like other people on social media.

She said her decision to use her own voice and create content based on everyday African experiences changed the direction of her journey, while producing as many as five videos a day also helped her cope with depression as she received counselling.

“I would make five videos in a day, that was helping me to get out of depression,” she said.

Lyainga said she later gained wider attention through her comedy content, with one of her videos convincing her that content creation could become serious after it initially received no views before reaching about one million views within an hour and later accumulating 12 million views within 24 hours.

Despite building a large audience, Lyainga said her journey also came with criticism, particularly comments about her being a single mother and her decision to feature her child in some of her content, prompting her to block hurtful comments to protect her mental health.

“People will always have something negative to say about you but rather just stay focused and it shouldn’t be the reason to unalive yourself,” she said.

Lyainga said her first step into monetising her content came when someone approached her to advertise a song for K50, followed by another musician who offered her K200 before a campaign later offered her K15,000.

She said she subsequently researched the business side of content creation and realised the potential of making money through social media, adding that the income eventually enabled her to acquire her first car.

“There’s more money in content creation and just know how to play your cards, even if people underestimate you saying you can’t,” she said.

Meanwhile, speaking during an interview, upcoming content creator Prince Chansa said his journey started without plans of turning content creation into a career, as he initially wanted to share things he found funny and interesting while connecting with people.

“I just wanted to share things I found funny/interesting and connect with people. I wasn’t thinking big,” he said.

Chansa said his journey has involved slow growth, learning how to edit and dealing with content that fails to attract attention, adding that criticism and low views have at times made him consider quitting.

“There were weeks I thought about quitting. But what kept me going is the belief that if I stop now, I will never know what could have happened,” he said.

Chansa, who has already started earning from his content through social media marketing, said he now hopes to make content creation his full-time career by building a community and diversifying his income through brand partnerships and his own products.

“Seeing creators like Teresa Lyainga made me realise full-time content creation is a real career,” he said.

The experiences of Lyainga and Chansa highlight the growing potential of content creation as a source of income, while also showing that building a sustainable career in the digital space requires consistency, resilience and an understanding of the business behind social media.

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