Actress and content creator, Lerato Nxumalo. Picture: Instagram/@lratonxumalo
How much can one make running a successful YouTube page? Actress and content creator, Lerato Nxumalo recently shared her YouTube R43,192 earnings for the past 28 days from the video streaming portal.
The earnings from the YouTuber got a lot of netizens and aspiring YouTubers going crazy over how much they can earn and what factors determine earnings on the platform.
According to social media analytics website, Social Blade, the earnings of South African YouTubers can vary widely. Top creators in the country earn between R1,826 (R1.8K) and R1,402,918 (R1.4M) per month.
For smaller channels however, the income can be much lower. For instance, a South African YouTuber with 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 views a month may only earns around R400 per month, due to fewer impressions and ads.
With over 2 billion active users every month, YouTube has transformed from a platform for just sharing videos to a lucrative career path for content creators worldwide.
In South Africa, where the creator economy is steadily growing, earnings can range widely depending on content quality, consistency, and audience size.
According to Social Blade, there are five main metrics used to determine the earnings of a YouTube channel.
So how do YouTubers earn money online?
Ad Revenue (YouTube Partner Program)
The primary source of income is ad revenue. Creators earn from advertisements displayed during their videos.
Revenue depends on the CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions). This is how much advertisers are willing to pay per 1,000 views.
The average CPM in South Africa ranges from R8.50 to R53.79, depending on the niche and engagement.
Views
The most basic factor. More views typically translate to more opportunities for ads to be displayed and watched, directly impacting potential earnings.
Sponsorships and Brand Deals
To diversify income streams, many creators partner with brands to feature products or services in their YouTube videos.
These deals can range from a few thousand rands for smaller channels to hundreds of thousands for top-tier influencers and creators.
Channel Memberships
Creators with eligible channels can offer their subscribers an option to pay a monthly fee. This works well for YouTubers with highly engaged audiences who want exclusive perks.
Factors that can affect YouTube earnings
Niche is the most common factor to take into account for creators venturing into YouTube. Educational, financial, beauty & lifestyle as well as tech content tend to have higher CPM rates due to advertiser demand.
One of the highest paid South African creators makes entertainment content through his podcast channel, with an estimated earning of upto R610,000 per month, is MacG, real name Macgyver Mukwevho (1,4 million subscribers), according to Social Blade.
Followed by Ghost Hlubi (890,000 subscribers), whose niche is also entertainment, with an estimated income of upto R375,000 monthly.
Lerato Nxumalo’s earnings are estimated at up to R72,000 monthly.
Viewers in countries with stronger currencies, like the U.S., U.K., or Australia, generate higher CPMs compared to South Africa.
Subscriber count, engagement and watch time all matter when it comes to how much a creator makes. Videos with high engagement (likes, comments, shares) and longer watch times attract more advertisers, boosting revenue potential.
Finally, the quality of your YouTube can make or break your viewership. If the video is high quality, aesthetically pleasing and seamlessly edited, you are likely to keep viewers hooked and thus making money from ads.
It’s possible for a smaller channel with a highly engaged audience to earn more than a large, less-active one.
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