Rwanda Claimed It Became Africa's First TikTok Monetization Market. Then the Government Said It Didn't. The Real Story Is More Complicated

Rwanda Claimed It Became Africa’s First TikTok Monetization Market. Then the Government Said It Didn’t. The Real Story Is More Complicated

When Bruce Melodie asked President Kagame to help unlock TikTok earnings at the National Umushyikirano Council in February, social media exploded with claims that Rwanda had secured direct monetization. Then the Ministry of ICT issued a denial. What actually happened reveals why African creator economies remain stuck—and what it would take to fix them.