Many people often wonder why Zimbabwe is not yet included in Facebook monetization. The country has thousands of talented creatives producing high-quality content on the platform. Currently, some of this content ends up being monetized through other countries, but Zimbabwean creators themselves cannot directly benefit. This raises an important question:
Why is it important for Zimbabwe to be part of Facebook monetization?
A useful case study can be drawn from Kenya. In August 2022, only four African countries had access to Facebook monetization, and Kenya was not among them. However, through negotiations between the Government of Kenya and Meta, Kenya was later added to the list of monetized countries. This breakthrough followed President William Ruto’s direct engagement with Facebook leadership, where he emphasized the importance of empowering local creators.
President Ruto also highlighted the need to integrate Kenya’s M-Pesa mobile money system into Facebook’s payment systems, making payouts faster, easier, and more accessible. Additionally, he is pushing for collaborations with global tech companies like Google to allow advertisers to purchase ads using mobile money.
Furthermore, President Ruto plans to meet with major tech leaders during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from September 9th to 23rd, 2025, in New York, United States of America.
A Proposal for Zimbabwe’s Creative Economy
This is a crucial moment for Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture to act, especially with the President attending the UNGA. A proposal should be presented to His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, on the sidelines of the UNGA, requesting engagement with Meta to:
• Add Zimbabwe to Facebook’s monetisation list
• Integrate local payment solutions (e.g., EcoCash, One Wallet, ClicknPay, ZIPIT)
• Support digital creators through policy and partnerships
If successful, this initiative could unlock significant economic opportunities for the country’s digital creators.
Doing so would have significant benefits for the local creative economy, including:
Creating new income streams for Zimbabwean creators
Generating employment opportunities within the digital and creative sectors
Boosting the national economy through digital innovation and cultural exports
Facebook monetization for Zimbabwe is not just about individual creators earning—it is about positioning the country as a player in the global digital economy.”
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Advocate for arts development and spearheading space education initiatives in Zimbabwe. National Coordinator for World Space Week Zimbabwe and UNISEC Global Zimbabwe actively promoting global collaboration in space education.
