The future of Africa is young. The continent has more people aged under 20 than anywhere in the world, which means that we have to change the way that young people are supported.
Facebook has realised this and has created a platform and opportunities for the continent's youth to flourish. One of Facebook's key roles across the continent is supporting and investing in young and diverse creative talent.
"At Facebook, we’re deeply invested in the creative industry in Africa, and nowhere is it more exciting to witness this vibrant creative scene - individuals and businesses who are changing the way Africa is viewed, not just in Africa, but around the world," says Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa.
The arts is one of Africa's greatest exports. From fine art and crafts to jewellery and fashion design, film, music and TV, Africans have been creating content that has attracted a global audience.
It is something that has been noted by The African Union, which has declared 2021 as the year of celebration of African ‘Arts Culture and Heritage’.
In response, Facebook Africa launched a global campaign during Africa month- the 'Made in Africa, Loved by the World' campaign.
The campaign features a series of short films that unveil the stories of eight phenomenal creatives and small business owners from across the continent who are breaking ground across the world. The films provide a glimpse into the global successes of African creatives and businesses.
The creatives featured in the campaign are:
South Africa's Laduma Ngxokolo, Kenya's Sauti Sol and Blinky Bill, Nigeria's Mark Angela, Mai Atafo and Lola Pedro; Lafalaise Dion from Côte d’Ivoire and Jessica Allogo from Gabon.
As part of the ‘Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ campaign, Facebook created a dedicated ‘Africa Day’ Facebook profile frames available to Facebook users and are holding free virtual training for SMBs and Creators across Africa through its local training partners, hereby providing other upcoming creatives and entrepreneurs, who use Facebook and Instagram for their content and businesses, with the digital know-how to take their ideas global.
Facebook partnered with local trainers to deliver four sessions that focused on creativity and Instagram.
These training sessions focused on creativity including how to creatively engage with your audience through Instagram; Reels school, Interactivity in stories and how to get creative with ads.
Instagram has become a major platform for direct-to-consumer sales and this has made it important for Facebook to arm small businesses using the platform, to get the most of it. The training gave SMBs tips to craft more creatively engaging content that will help their business stand out on Instagram! And also for them to learn more about different formats and how to work with Influencers organically.
Reels School
Reels has become one of the most popular social media platforms, thanks to the creatives who have used Reels for their content, showcasing their business and what they offer. The Reels training session was all about how you can use Instagram Reels to create entertaining short-form videos to share with your customers and audiences!
Interactivity in Instagram Story Ads
Stories are one the most engaging formats on Instagram. Facebook Africa’s training session taught creatives and SMBs how they can make it easier for customers and potential customers to get closer to their business by making your Instagram ads more interactive!
Creative Ads
From selecting appealing visuals, writing engaging ad text, and choosing call-to-action buttons, join this training session was to learn creative strategies to help you create more effective online ads - to catch the eyes of existing, new and potential customers!
"Facebook family of apps gives people a voice and a platform,” says Ntshingila. “Every day, we see creatives using Facebook’s family of apps to share their stories, express themselves, bring people together, speak out, build communities make an economic and social impact, create movements and more."
You can access more detail about the ‘Made by Africa: Loved by the World’ campaign and the training videos on the microsite.