Here is the moment we have all been waiting for! We are excited to officially introduce the first Top Creators and Top Creator Runner-Ups for TikTok’s inaugural #TopCreator2022 - an award ceremony that recognises and awards content creators across Sub-Saharan Africa for the immense talent and creativity they brought to the platform in the past year. This ceremony follows a highly competitive eight-day-long public voting process on the app across Southern, West, and East Africa.

The Awards were hosted at the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Nairobi in Kenya and in attendance was the media community and fellow creators across Sub-Saharan Africa. The award recipients enjoyed this momentous occasion in the presence of other nominees as they walked away with the #TopCreator2022 TikTok trophy.

Boniswa Sidwaba, TikTok's head of content programming in Sub-Saharan Africa, shares that: “this award ceremony is TikTok’s way of recognising storytellers, creativity and the positive impact all creators bring to the TikTok community. We are thrilled to be celebrating our creators who have been a driving force behind some of the exciting trends for 2022. With these inaugural awards, TikTok aims to give creators in Sub-Saharan Africa the recognition they deserve and to encourage them to tell the African story while spreading joy at all times.”

Without any further ado, please meet the first TikTok creators to win #TopCreator2022 Awards:

  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 West Africa Winner – @e4ma from Nigeria
@e4ma Tag 3 dancers that made your year on this app… ❤️ #e4ma ♬ original sound - a
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 West Africa Runner Up – @berby_picxy from Nigeria
@berby_picxy 🫶🏾 #onbeat did this tired 🫶🏼 #onbeatchallenge #berbypicxy ♬ JAGERMEISTER - Ice Beats Slide & Sbuda Maleather
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 Southern Africa Winner – @Pilot_onthegram from South Africa
@pilot_onthegram If you can’t see people in their cars waving when doing the FAOR-FALA VFR departure you’re doing it wrong 😝🤠 #pilotonthegram #kingair ♬ original sound - Pilot_onthegram
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 Southern Africa Runner Up – @.lindokuhle_khoza from South Africa1
@.lindokuhle_khoza Yes !😭💐🤣🤣🤣#lindokuhlek ♬ original sound - Motho Wa Ernest 🥹❤️🫂
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 East Africa Winner – @natasha_gwal from Kenya
@natasha_gwal Curada rerka jah🙈👸🏻🤣#independentwoman❤🥰 #ownernatashaabdicollection #natashafamily #december #❤️🇸🇴🇸🇴 ♬ original sound - AJ_LAYRICS🦋
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 Runner Up – @beautyby.nita from Kenya
@beautyby.nita Tut is here with a lil storytime👽😍#fyp #tutorial #beautybynita ♬ original sound - Heidi Wong


In addition to the publicly-voted category and decided by the TikTok judging panel, the winner and runner-up of the overall Top Creator Award across Sub-Saharan Africa is:

  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa Winner – @theroamingchef from Kenya
@theroamingchef Soft Garlic Butter Naan, alongside rich & creamy Butter Chicken. #KrisiNaAjab #food #foodtiktok #fyp #kenya #naan #butterchicken #merrychristmas #happyholidays ♬ original sound - dennis ombachi
  1. TikTok Top Creator 2022 Sub-Saharan Africa Runner Up – @charityekezie from Nigeria
@charityekezie Replying to @yousaf_afridi_312 We have ancestral google translate. #sacarsm #charityekezie #Africa ♬ original sound - Charityekezie