Lyvely, a social monetization platform, has launched its services in Africa, featuring a direct integration with M-Pesa to provide creators and entrepreneurs with instant access to monetization tools and mobile payments.
Lyvely’s expansion commenced with a youth-focused launch in Kenya, where it quickly garnered over 200,000 organic users through community referrals and creator advocacy within weeks. This user adoption indicates a demand for digital platforms in Africa that empower youth to create, connect, and earn beyond traditional entertainment.
Farah Zafar, Co-Founder and CEO of Lyvely, stated, “Africa’s youth are redefining what it means to be digital—they’re bold, expressive, and ready to turn creativity into livelihood. Lyvely isn’t another social app; it’s a social empowerment platform. Through our integration with M-Pesa, we’ve built a bridge between creativity and commerce, making it possible for anyone with a phone and a dream to get paid instantly.” Zafar also noted that the platform’s campus-to-community campaigns reflect the ambition of Africa’s youth.
Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $180 billion by 2025, supported by a growing mobile-money ecosystem and a digitally-native generation. Despite this growth, many creators and freelancers face exclusion from global monetization systems due to payment barriers and infrastructure limitations. Lyvely aims to address this by combining social networking, fintech, and creator monetization within a single mobile experience.
The M-Pesa integration enables users to earn instantly through various in-app features such as paid calls, livestreams, subscriptions, and tips. The platform operates on a secure, mobile-first infrastructure designed for low-bandwidth environments, promoting accessibility and inclusion even in areas with limited connectivity. This setup positions Lyvely as an end-to-end social monetization ecosystem in Africa.
Beyond monetization, Lyvely intends to foster a digital economy for African creators, educators, freelancers, and micro-entrepreneurs. The company is developing partnerships with telecom and fintech providers to introduce “Create & Earn” data bundles, aiming to make content creation and streaming more affordable and accessible across the continent.
Zafar further commented, “We’re not just expanding into Africa; we’re co-creating with Africa. This continent is overflowing with talent and ambition. Lyvely is here to help turn that creative energy into sustainable income, one connection and one transaction at a time.” Lyvely’s Africa rollout is part of a broader strategy to enhance access, inclusion, and opportunities within the digital creator economy.
