Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the launch of new monetization features for content creators in Kenya, enabling them to earn revenue from short-form videos through advertising.

On Tuesday, Meta unveiled two primary monetization options: in-stream ads that can be placed before, during, or after videos on Facebook, and ads on Reels that accompany short videos shared on the platform.

Kenya now joins 11 other African nations where Meta collaborates with creators to share ad revenue, including Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana, and the Seychelles.

“This expansion will empower eligible creators in Kenya’s vibrant creative landscape to earn income while elevating global standards for creativity, making Meta’s suite of apps the premier destination for all creators,” stated Moon Baz, Meta’s global partnerships lead for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.

The initiative to expand Meta’s monetization features in Kenya began earlier this year during a visit from Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, who met with President William Ruto. While the plan initially aimed for a rollout by June for both Facebook and Instagram, monetization features have so far only been announced for Facebook.

To qualify for these new monetization options, creators must have a minimum of 5,000 followers on Facebook and accumulate over 60,000 minutes of total watch time in the preceding two months.

According to the latest statistics from the Communications Authority of Kenya, Facebook is the most widely used social media platform in the country, with 52% of Kenyans aged 15 and older actively using it. Other popular platforms in Kenya include WhatsApp, utilized by 48.5% of the population, and Instagram, which has an 11.5% usage rate.

Currently, only YouTube and X are known to share ad revenue with creators, making Meta’s new features a significant addition to the landscape for Kenyan content creators.