Kenyan creators took a leading place at the 2025 TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa held on 6 December in Johannesburg, where the continent’s top digital storytellers were celebrated under the theme “New Era, New Icons.”
Kenya’s animation and sports creators earned major wins, underscoring the country’s growing influence in Africa’s digital content economy.
The ceremony featured performances by Ciza, Lord Kez, Thuli P, DJ Fif_Laa and Thabsie, with South African entertainer Bontle Modiselle-Moloi hosting the event.
Keegan Gordon and Zayaan Noorani led red-carpet coverage, while Mihlali Ndamase and athlete Akani Simbine presented several key categories.
TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, hailed the honorees as “trailblazers who turned 60-second clips into cultural movements,” saying African creators are helping reshape global views of the continent.
Kenya made a strong impact in two major categories. @tunero_animations won Rising Star of the Year, a continental nod to Kenya’s fast-growing animation industry, whose characters have become relatable cultural favourites.
In sports, John Maingi Mbugua (@zozasportscast) won Sports Creator of the Year, signalling the rise of Kenyan fan-led sports analysis popular among young online audiences.
Creators from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania were also recognised across food, entertainment, education, sports and social impact.
Nigeria dominated several headline awards, with Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim (@diaryofanortherncook) named Creator of the Year and Brian Nwana (@briannwana) winning Storyteller of the Year. Tanzania’s Fanuel John Masamaki (@zerobrainer0) took Video of the Year for his silent football sketches.
Nigeria’s Dejoke Ogunbiyi (@noositiwantiwa_) earned Social Impact Creator of the Year for content addressing social issues, while South African runner-up @ufarm_julia was recognised for promoting sustainable agriculture.
Other winners included South Africa’s @malumfoodie for Food Creator of the Year, Nigeria’s Belove Olocha (@beloveolocha) for Entertainment Creator of the Year, tech educator Izzi Boye (@izziboye) for Education Creator of the Year and Nigerian artist Shallipopi (@theycallmeshallipopipp) for Artist of the Year.
The awards will be rebroadcast on TikTok LIVE on 11 December at 20:00 SAST via the @tiktok.africa account.
