TikTok One launches in South Africa, opening new earning opportunities for creators

South African TikTok creators now have another way to earn money from their content as TikTok One officially expands to the country.

Following a phased regional rollout, the platform is available to local creators and businesses, with South African brands and creators already using it.

TikTok One connects creators, brands and agencies, providing opportunities for sponsored content and commercial partnerships. Creators can use it to discover paid campaigns, manage collaborations and potentially earn from videos they have already published.

How TikTok One works in South Africa

TikTok One is TikTok’s official platform for collaborations between brands and creators.

Built into TikTok Studio, its Creator Marketplace gives creators a central place to explore paid opportunities and manage brand partnerships.

Depending on the opportunity, creators can be discovered by brands that align with their content, apply for selected campaigns or earn money from existing videos.

For businesses, the platform provides a way to identify and collaborate with South African creators on marketing and advertising campaigns.

Participation in individual campaigns remains subject to the requirements of each campaign and the needs of participating brands.

Three ways South African creators can earn through TikTok One

TikTok One offers three solutions to local creators, each with different participation requirements.

1. Spark Opportunity (Content Suite)

Spark Opportunity allows creators to earn from TikTok videos they have already published.

Creators authorise brands to promote their existing videos as Spark Ads and receive compensation when those advertisements run.

To participate, creators must have at least 500 followers and must have signed up for TikTok One in the app.

2. Creative Challenge (Creator Content At Scale)

Creative Challenge allows creators to produce videos based on briefs supplied by brands.

Creators can earn from these videos based on performance and media investment.

To qualify, creators need at least 1,000 followers and must be registered for TikTok One in the app.

3. Creator Led Package

Creator Led Package connects creators with approved creator marketing agencies.

Creators are invited individually by approved agencies according to the requirements of specific campaigns.

TikTok sees opportunities for South African creators

Zethu Mthethwa, Head of Sales at TikTok, Sub-Saharan Africa, says the expansion is intended to create more opportunities for local talent.

“South Africa has an incredible creator community, and TikTok One gives them a direct pathway to work with local and global brands. By bringing creators, brands and agencies together in one place, TikTok One can help unlock new partnerships and income streams for creators, while giving businesses more ways to tap into the creativity and influence of South Africa’s creator community. This is more than a platform update, it’s part of our continued commitment to South Africa’s creative economy.

“Through this announcement, we want local creators to continue to recognise that their talent has real value, and we’re building the tools to make sure homegrown talent gets the recognition and the income it deserves and the opportunity to participate in the country’s growing digital economy,” says Mthethwa.

The platform is designed to help creators connect their content and communities with commercial opportunities, while giving brands access to local creative talent.

Creator rewards and brand collaborations are growing

TikTok reports growing participation in creator-brand collaborations globally.

Between June 2025 and May 2026, the number of creators receiving rewards through TikTok One increased by 90% year on year.

Creators are also participating in more than twice as many TikTok One brand collaborations each month.

Among established creators with more than 50,000 followers, the monthly rewards value for TikTok One campaigns increased by 40% year on year in May 2026.

The platform’s expansion comes as brands continue to invest in creator partnerships.

According to the figures supplied by TikTok, 77% of Millennials and Gen Z globally say they are more likely to purchase from a brand featured by a creator they trust.

The company also reports that 93% of brands planned to allocate a greater share of their budgets to creator collaborations in 2025.

What TikTok One means for local creators and brands

TikTok One adds to the monetisation opportunities already available to South African creators through LIVE Gifts, Subscription and Work with Artists.

For creators, the expansion provides another route to discover brand partnerships and explore potential income from their content.

For businesses, it creates more direct connections with creators whose content and communities align with their campaigns.

With TikTok One now available locally, South African creators have an additional platform through which to turn their creative work into commercial opportunities.

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