Published: May 21, 2026 | Technology News.
A new digital platform, The Standard Arena, has been launched in Kenya as the country’s first creator-focused online marketplace.
The platform connects content creators and social media influencers directly with brands, allowing them to find job opportunities and collaborate on projects. It is designed as a complete campaign management solution that helps creators find work, execute projects, and measure performance.
During the launch, The Standard Arena Co-Founder Kevin Onsinsi said that even though brands are spending more money on digital marketing, about 90 percent of digital projects involving influencers never materialize.
Onsinsi explained that brands put influencer campaigns through long internal processes. While they see the value of digital marketing, many are slow to commit because they cannot track results clearly.
Kenya’s Growing Creator Economy
Kenya’s creator economy has grown significantly. The digital content industry is now valued at over Sh1 trillion.
In 2025, Kenyan marketers paid influencers an estimated Sh645 million. Digital advertising spending accounts for more than 25 percent of total advertising expenditure in the country.
Meta platforms, which own Facebook and Instagram, dominate Kenya’s digital advertising space. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, Facebook earned over Sh6 billion from digital ads placed by Kenyan firms, while Instagram took more than Sh3 billion.
Platform Performance for Creators
A 2026 report examined monetization rates across major platforms. Instagram leads with about 41 percent of creator views converted into paid partnerships. Facebook follows at 22 percent, while TikTok lags at only 12 percent despite having the largest audience reach.
The Standard Arena Aims to Fix Delayed Payments and Mismatched Partnerships for Kenyan Creators
TikTok’s top 10 Kenyan creators generated billions of views in 2025, but only a small percentage were tied to paid partnerships. However, TikTok reported that more than 200 Kenyan creators earned over Sh45 million during its first year of commercial operations ending January 2026.
Small and medium-sized enterprises account for roughly 80 percent of brand partnerships across all platforms, though large corporations pay higher rates. Sponsored posts from SMEs typically range between Sh30,000 and Sh200,000, compared with Sh200,000 to Sh500,000 for large brands.
Challenges Creators Face
Despite the industry’s growth, creators face significant challenges. Industry data shows Kenyan businesses waste up to 60 percent of influencer marketing budgets by prioritizing likes and comments over revenue tracking.
Many creators have publicly disputed earnings reports. Popular comedian Dem Wa Facebook dismissed claims that she earned Sh35 million, saying she has never made such an amount from content creation. Terence Creative also questioned the accuracy of earnings data, noting that while the industry is growing, reported figures are often overstated.
Creators frequently face delayed payments, low earnings, and exploitation. At the same time, brands struggle to find talent that fits their vision and values.
The Standard Arena’s Solution
The Standard Arena aims to solve these issues through a transparent, AI-powered digital marketplace focused on Africa’s growing digital economy.
Onsinsi said the goal is to close the trust gap and build a sustainable, mutually beneficial system for both creators and brands.
The launch marks a major step in changing how digital marketing works across the continent.
