With over 2 billion active users each month, YouTube remains one of the largest video platforms globally, providing lucrative opportunities for content creators, including those in South Africa. Many South Africans are curious: how much does YouTube pay content creators locally? The answer isn’t straightforward, as earnings depend on various factors
This article examines the earnings landscape for South African YouTubers, offering insights and actionable strategies for maximizing income.
How YouTube Pays Content Creators
YouTube monetization primarily relies on ad revenue. Once you join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), ads appear on your videos, and you earn a share of the revenue generated. However, several factors influence earnings:
- Niche: Channels focused on finance, technology, or education often earn more due to higher advertiser demand.
- Audience Demographics: International audiences, especially from countries like the U.S. or U.K., yield higher CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) rates compared to local audiences.
- Engagement Levels: Videos with higher likes, comments, and shares generate more revenue.
YouTube Partner Program (YPP) Requirements
To qualify for monetization, you must meet the following requirements:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months
Upon meeting these criteria, you can apply for the YPP and start earning from:
How Much Does YouTube Pay In South Africa
Earnings per view depend on the CPM, which varies based on niche and audience. In South Africa:
- Average CPM: R18.04 to R360.74 per 1,000 views
- RPM (Revenue Per Mille): The revenue YouTubers retain after YouTube’s cut, typically R9–R180 per 1,000 views
For example, a small South African channel with 10,000 monthly views might earn around R400–R800 from ad revenue alone.
Factors That Affect YouTube Earnings in South Africa
There are several things that can affect how much money a South African YouTuber makes. These include the CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impressions), Audience Location, and Content-Type. Advertisers might pay more for ads shown to a certain group of people, and viewers who watch more ads can help generate more revenue.
- The CPM depending on the niche
- Countries like the U.S. tend to generate higher ad revenue compared to 3rd world countries.
- Educational, financial, and tech content usually have higher CPMs due to advertiser demand.
Finally, the quality of a YouTuber’s videos can also make a difference. If the videos are high-quality and keep viewers interested, they are more likely to make money from ads
I myself own a YouTube channel that recently got monetized with YouTube ads. It currently has 2k subscribers, but only gets 10k views a month. With this amount of views, my channel makes around R400 a month. I post 4 videos a month about 2 to 6 min long, The videos off low content videos
Ways to Make Money on YouTube
Beyond ad revenue, there are multiple ways to monetize your YouTube channel:
1. Affiliate Marketing
Promote products or services in your videos and earn commissions for sales generated through your affiliate links.
2. Sponsorships
Collaborate with brands to feature their products in your videos. South African brands increasingly sponsor local creators.
3. Memberships and Exclusive Content
Offer exclusive perks or behind-the-scenes content to paying subscribers.
4. Merchandise Sales
Use YouTube’s integrated shop to sell branded merchandise directly to your audience.
Top 5 High Earning YouTubers in South Africa
This list will only focus on high-earning solo YouTubers
1. Ghost Hlubi YouTube Earnings
Ghost Hlubi is a popular South African influencer and content creator known for his fancy lifestyle.
- Niche: Entertainment
- YouTube channel: Ghost Hlubi
- Estimated Earnings: R380,000 – R570,000 per month
2. Joseph Dary YouTube Earnings
Joseph the relationships reviewer, goes around finding love partners to exchange their phones and expose one that I cheating.
- Niche: Entertainment
- Youtube Channel: Joseph Dary
- Estimated Earnings: R190,000 – R380,000 per month
3. Mihlali Ndamase YouTube Earnings
Mihlali Ndamase is a leading beauty and lifestyle influencer in South Africa. Her YouTube channel features makeup tutorials, skincare routines, and lifestyle content, appealing to a broad audience interested in fashion and beauty.
- Niche: Beauty and Lifestyle
- YouTube Channel: Mihlali Ndamase
- Estimated Earnings: R190,000 – R380,000 per month
4. Noel Deyzel YouTube Earnings
Bodybuilder Noel Deyzel gained popularity among the physique and bodybuilding community and later went on to become a fitness influencer. He’s generated a reputation for spreading positive messages through his content, and through his platforms, he continues to share tips about dieting and working out
- Niche: Fitness and Bodybuilding
- YouTube Channel: Noel Deyzel
- Estimated Earnings: R100,000 – R380,000 per month
5. Sasha Domnikov
Sasha Domnokon is a young successful YouTuber who has grown to 300K subscribers over 4 years simply posting skits pranks and entertainment videos.
- Niche: Entertainment
- YouTube Channel: Sasha Domnikov
- Estimated Earnings: R190,000 – R380,000 per month
How to Maximize Your YouTube Income
Here are actionable tips to boost your YouTube earnings:
- Target High-CPM Niches: Create content in finance, tech, or education.
- Optimize for Engagement: Encourage likes, shares, and comments.
- Expand Revenue Streams: Use affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.
- Improve Video Quality: Invest in better equipment and editing tools to create professional content.
- Engage International Audiences: Use subtitles or multilingual content to attract viewers from high-paying regions.
YouTube VS TikTok Witch One Pays More
Obviously when comparing the two YouTube pays more money than TikTok. YouTube is one of the highest-paying long video platforms you can find. But the comparison is unfair so to make if you don’t only focus on YouTube shorts only.
When comparing YouTube Shorts vs Tiktok earnings to determine which one pays more. Here is a proven comparison of Youtube with 1M vides And TikTok with 1M vies which one pays more.
- YouTube Shorts has an RPM of $0.09
- While TikTok has an RPM of $0.52
- Looking only at RPM you can tell that TikTok pays more than YouTube Shorts
- 1 Milion Vies with Youtube Shorts you earn $95.29
- 1 million views with TikTok you earn $511.5
I have divided by 2 the earnings for TikTok since the image has 2 million views which is double compared to the number of views on YouTube. Other than that the RPM (Revenue Per Mille) the use very thing, With an RPM of $0.53 TikTok Pays $0.53 per 1000 views while Youtube shorts RPM of $0.09 pays $0.09 per 1000 views
FQs About Making Money on YouTube in South Africa
The average earnings per view can range from R0.5 to R56 depending on the niche and audience.
Focus on creating content that attracts international viewers, especially from high-CPM countries like the U.S. or U.K.
You need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months.
Focus on affiliate marketing by promoting products in your niche and using platforms like Patreon for direct support from your audience. Create engaging, value-driven content to build trust and encourage clicks.
Conclusion
It’s not too late to be a YouTuber, Just create a channel and start posting. But if you want to earn R10,00 to R100,000 per month you have to Create high-quality videos that keep viewers engaged and coming back for more. Use SEO tools to improve search rankings and attract more viewers. Also, consider the length of your videos, as longer videos tend to generate more ad revenue.
If you want to learn about more ways to make money just visit my YouTube channel and subscribe if you like the content. If you are sly you can also try creating a website to earn money with ads too.
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