TikTokAs an all-inclusive community that embraces all cultures and backgrounds, an important mission for TikTok is to provide a truly diverse, educational and positive experience for users. In line with this mission, we are excited to announce the launch of the Rising Voices incubator project - an initiative open to all black South African creators, which has been endorsed by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the South African Department of Arts and Culture.
Running for six weeks, Rising Voices will train, educate and support 100 black creators, selected by a committee, on how to make the best use of TikTok and create high-quality content. It will also include career-building resources and necessary digital skills training from prominent industry experts. The selected creators will be put through an intensive boot camp to learn how to create content on TikTok and master their craft, personal branding, monetising their account, and the importance of content catering to a diverse audience.
Renowned DJ and producer DJ Zinhle and digital creator, Mihlali Ndamase, have also joined this exciting movement.
South Africa is a market brimming with creative talent from black creators and we are committed to providing the best local support to help amplify the voices of this community. Through this initiative, TikTok will empower these creators to thrive on our platform and beyond, as we aim to provide them with career-building resources and programs.
“We are excited to witness the launch of TikTok’s Rising Voices initiative in South Africa. Projects like this one provide black content creators with vast opportunities to further develop their digital skills while learning from some of the industry’s leading content experts, said Makhosazana Khanyile, CEO of the NFVF, in a joint statement. “We look forward to seeing the incredible content and content creators that will emerge from this programme, and we are confident it will add tremendous value to the film and video industry in South Africa.”
Once the incubation program is complete, the selection committee will choose 20 of the incubator creators to receive a grant. Creators selected for the grant will be tasked with creating a series of paid content and will be given a one-on-one mentor session to analyse their content plan.
Applications for the Rising Voices project are open until 9 April 2021, via an in-app form. Applicants must complete the relevant form as well as submit a one-minute video highlighting why they want to be part of the programme and why they should be selected. To qualify, candidates must be black creators based in South Africa, over 18 years old, have at least 10 000 followers and have posted at least 12 videos in the last 60 days.
We can’t wait to meet the next generation of black TikTok content creators from South Africa!
