Selar, Nigeria’s marketplace for digital creators is expanding its presence in Kenya in a bid to empower African creators and driving economic growth by providing them with a platform and tools to monetize their digital products and services.
Founded in 2016 by Nigerian entrepreneur Douglas Kendyson, Selar has partnered with companies like PayPal and Stripe to help creators sell digital products and in 2023, the firm paid out over $4.4 million to creators showcasing and selling their digital products, such as courses, e-books, music, art, tickets, and more.
“This Kenya expansion is one of the most important decisions we’ve made as a company. Kenya’s the biggest market in East Africa with lots of amazing creators across the board. We’re also really excited about collaborating with lots of Kenyan creators in the coming months,” said Douglas Kendyson, Selar Founder and CEO.
With a mission to help creators turn their knowledge and talent into wealth, Selar leverages the rise of the creator economy in Africa to educate and sensitize Kenyans on the benefits of creating and selling digital products, while providing them with the necessary tools to ease their creator journey. In the past year, Selar facilitated over 520 million Kenya Shillings in payments to African creators. This impressive achievement comes from Selar’s one million registered users and over two hundred thousand creators across 15 African countries.
According to market intelligence company, Coherent MI, the market size of Africa’s creative economy was estimated at $3.08 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $17.84 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.5% from 2023 to 2030. The creative economy refers to the class of entrepreneurs, artists, influencers, bloggers, and other content creators who leverage online platforms to earn income through their creative skills and talents.
Kenya has been one of Selar’s biggest markets in East Africa and through this expansion, Selar aims to provide even more opportunities for Kenyan creators to earn extra income. Selar’s platform offers creators the flexibility to customize their storefronts, set pricing, manage orders, and receive payments seamlessly. Selar provides analytics and insights to help creators track their performance and optimize their strategies for success.
In a significant development, Selar was recently accepted into a prestigious job tech accelerator program, receiving a $50,000 grant. This support will further bolster Selar’s mission to create more opportunities within the digital ecosystem, enabling more Kenyan and African creators to turn their passions into sustainable careers
Selar’s acceptance into the Jobtech Accelerator Program, steered by Mercy Corps and BFA Global, underscores its commitment to addressing high unemployment and economic inclusion barriers in Kenya and Africa. By cultivating an ecosystem of innovative digital platforms, Jobtech Alliance supports organizations that empower and provide job opportunities and support economic development in Africa.
The foremost creator platform has proven effective in creating jobs and building livelihoods for Africans. Many creators on Selar earn an average of $100 per month, and employ teams of 3-5 people, further expanding the platform’s impact on employment. With over 200,000 creators and 20,000 affiliates, Selar supports a vibrant community of individuals making a livelihood through affiliate marketing and digital sales.
Selar’s primary goal is to grow the creator economy in Kenya and Africa by providing essential tools that enable creators to earn a living, Selar is a powerful enabler of employment across the continent. The decision to apply for the Jobtech Accelerator Program was driven by a commitment to further enhance these tools and create new initiatives to support creators and affiliates.
Through the grant, Selar aims to expand its product offerings to the Kenyan market, providing more Africans, particularly Kenyans, with opportunities to earn extra income. Additionally, Selar plans to develop exciting new products during the accelerator program, with details to be announced in due time.