Louis Manu, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wi-flix, has warned that Africa’s rapidly-expanding creative and content industry faces a looming monetisation crisis that could slow its momentum despite a surge in digital creativity across the continent.
Speaking during his keynote address Thursday at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali 2025 in Rwanda, Manu says that while African creators are shaping global culture through film, music, and digital media, many still struggle to earn fair value for their work.
“If you create content in Lagos, are you able to distribute that content globally and generate the revenue it deserves?” Manu asks. “Are we monetising content enough to make money for filmmakers and distributors?”
The Wi-flix CEO notes that Africa has evolved from being a consumer of global media to becoming a creator and exporter of stories that resonate worldwide. However, he cautions that persistent weaknesses in monetisation models, infrastructure, intellectual property (IP) protection, and distribution threaten the sustainability of this progress.
“If you create content in Lagos, are you able to distribute that content globally and generate the revenue it deserves?” Manu asks. “Are we monetising content enough to make money for filmmakers and distributors?”
Wi-flix CEO: African creators are shaping global culture
He projects that Africa’s creative industry could generate $51 billion in annual revenue and create five million jobs by 2032, if the right systems are established to support creators and ensure equitable compensation.
“We must be honest with ourselves,” Manu says. “Monetisation, infrastructure, IP protection, and distribution are the challenges we must fix.”
Manu highlights that Africa’s creative economy is increasingly driven by a mobile-first generation, whose access to affordable smartphones and data is reshaping how stories are produced, shared, and monetised.
“In Africa, the mobile phone is not just a device,” he says. “It is the cinema, it is TV, it is the concert hall, and it’s also our library.”
“In Africa, the mobile phone is not just a device,” he says. “It is the cinema, it is TV, it is the concert hall, and it’s also our library.”
He underscores the importance of authentic African storytelling, saying that the continent must own and project its narratives to global audiences.
“We don’t have to wait for the world to tell us a fake story about any Wakanda,” Manu says. “We can actually tell real stories — stories of Lagos, Accra, Kumasi, and Nairobi.”
Calling for greater adoption of emerging technologies, Manu urges industry stakeholders to harness tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and virtual and augmented reality to improve content distribution and safeguard creators’ rights.
“We’re looking at innovation to harness AI, blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, and other tools to empower — not replace — our creative genius,” he says.
Manu calls for stronger collaboration among creators, technology companies, investors, and policymakers to build an inclusive digital ecosystem that rewards talent and expands Africa’s influence in the global creative economy.
“Our young, talented population is turning creativity into currency,” he says. “But we must build systems that reward creators fairly.”
MWC Kigali 2025 brings together leaders from Africa’s technology, telecoms, and media industries to explore innovation, digital inclusion, and the future of the continent’s mobile-first economy.
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