The digital links forged in 2013 created a sustainable blueprint for the current creator economy in Africa. By utilizing online video platforms, African entertainers proved that local content had immense commercial viability both at home and abroad. It shifted the continent from being a consumer of foreign entertainment to a dominant global exporter of lifestyle, music, and cinema.
: 2013 was a "year of endorsements" for artists, with brands like Pepsi signing major deals with stars such as Tiwa Savage.
Beyond media, 2013 was a year of significant cultural and historical discovery.
In 2013, Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood, underwent a massive structural shift. The industry began moving away from physical VCD/DVD distribution and embraced online video streaming.
Major telecommunication giants (MTN, Airtel, Globacom) realized that video consumed the most data, prompting them to sponsor lifestyle content creators and music videos heavily.
2013 was a battle between high-fashion African print and streetwear.
The music video was a primary engine of this cultural wave. The following list comprises some of 2013's most inventive and celebrated African music videos:
Alongside this grim reality, global music still held a powerful sway. South Africans, like the rest of the world, were dancing to Miley Cyrus, Psy, and Robin Thicke. But the continent also produced its own viral sensations. At TEDGlobal 2013, the Kenyan band Just a Band was celebrated for creating “Africa’s first viral video” with their music video “Ha-He,” which introduced the world to the superhero-like figure Makmende, a meme of aspirational African coolness.
