Rudolf Gaiseb
THE local content industry has grown over the past 10 years, with creatives working hard to entertain, educate and inform their audiences.
However, the fight to enter the limelight and remain there is not easy, as content creators sometimes battle stagnant financial returns.
Travel, beauty and lifestyle content creator Taimi Nuuyango shares content mainly on platforms like Instagram and YouTube.
She also does do-it-yourself tutorials on cooking, among others.
“I monetise my content through paid partnerships, brand ambassadorship and sponsored posts,” she continued.
However, she admits in an interview with VIBEZ! that although profitable, the creative industry will be more lucrative when the country becomes more developed.
“The creative industry is profitable, but we still have a long way to go as a country. Content creation is about how much you put yourself out there, and how much you are willing to knock on doors. It may feel stagnant when you do not go around and pitch yourself, and show who you are and what your value is,” she added.
Nuuyango started a YouTube channel in 2020 with the idea of showing women how to do an everyday look, makeup-wise.
“With regards to travelling, I fell in love with our country’s culture, beauty, landscape and wildlife, and I wanted to share all this with both local and international audiences on my platforms.”
Another content creator, Queen Paulette Nunuhe, also known as Charisma Shekupe, highlighted the significance of content-creation to the individual, despite the hustle and bustle.
“You grow as an individual, for instance, by improving your profile. But the income is not guaranteed, and is stagnant at times. You cannot wait for clients to request proposals; you have to take the initiative to send proposals,as well as post about specials on your rates, among other things,” she said.
Shekupe added that she became a more consistent content-creator in 2020, and her core inspiration to create content comes from trying to embrace authenticity, including her background and culture.
“I'm trying to stay authentic about where I come from, while at the same time trying to secure the bag,” she said.
Shekupe added that she has a broad approach to the content she creates as in addition to other things, it involves entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
Most importantly, she added that those who want to enter the industry should embrace uniqueness, and only do content they are able to do.
“Most of the time, content-creators come from privileged backgrounds, where their parents are financially stable, and it is easy for them to create content because they live in beautiful homes and get to travel.
As a content-creator who was not so privileged, I advise budding content-creators to stay true to themselves, be authentic, and try not to fit in. Create content from your means; do not get out of your way to create something you cannot, or try to create a lifestyle you cannot maintain,” Shekupe advised.