Nine years ago, Selar was just an idea—a seed planted in the soil. Back then, the vision felt audacious, almost impossible: to build a platform that would not only serve creators but empower them to turn their skills, stories, and passions into thriving businesses. Today, that seed has grown into a tree, its branches reaching across continents and roots firmly grounded in the creator economy.

2022 was a breakthrough year. We helped creators earn ₦2 billion, a moment that felt like a quiet but powerful declaration: “We’re just getting started.” In 2023, the quiet became a roar. ₦4 billion paid out. Nearly 1 million users. The dream was no longer just ours—it belonged to a community that believed in us as fiercely as we did. And now, in 2024, we’ve paid over ₦9.88 billion to 1.5 million users spanning 194 countries around the world. 

While these numbers are impressive, they don’t tell the full story of the late nights spent refining tools, endless feedback loops with creators, or quiet moments of doubt that gave way to resilience. They don’t bear the faces of the creators whose dreams were validated, but they remind us of why we started—to grow the creator economy in Africa and create a space where creativity and commerce can coexist beautifully. 

Commenting on the heights we reached in 2024, our CEO, Douglas Kendyson said, “I know I say this a lot but I’m deeply grateful for my team. A lot of hard work goes into keeping the machine of Selar running, and I’m grateful for everyone that worked tirelessly to make this 2024 milestone possible. We’re super optimistic about 2025! We have a million things planned so stay tuned! ”

Selar has always been more than a platform; it’s a movement, a belief that African creators deserve not just the tools but a community that champions them. As we enter our ninth year, every milestone feels like a shared victory. To every creator, affiliate, and partner who trusted and believed in us—thank you. You are why we keep going.

Our year in figures! 📊

In 2024, we made remarkable strides in empowering creators and shaping the creator economy. We paid out an incredible ₦9.88 billion to creators across Africa, a testament to our mission of helping creators monetise their skills and content effectively. This achievement marks a significant leap forward and reflects the impact of a thriving community of creators and entrepreneurs.

We experienced exponential growth, growing our user base from 880K users in 2023 to over 1,500,000 million users in 2024. And from 150,000 creators in 2023 to over 240,000 creators on Selar in 2024.  The stores of Selar creators were visited 44 million times. This just shows the amount of work creators in Africa put in to turn their passion into profit, with Selar as a lighthouse, guiding them through their entrepreneurial journeys.

Selar’s affiliate network also achieved remarkable milestones, reflecting the value of collaboration in the creator economy. In 2024, Selar’s affiliate network grew to over 1,000,000 Affiliates and generated over ₦1.5 billion in sales! This reinstates our belief about the creator economy and the immense opportunities it offers where you don’t need to create digital products to take your share of the pie. 

These accomplishments reflect the effort of creators who dared to dream, innovate, and thrive. Behind every statistic lies a journey of resilience, creativity, and success—a journey we’re proud to support.

Exciting product updates in 2024 🚀

As part of our commitment to helping creators thrive in the creator economy, we took bold steps last year, to facilitate their journey and give them tools designed for business growth. In 2024, we introduced eleven innovative products and updates, each crafted with one purpose: to enhance the experience and success of our creators.

Here’s a closer look at some of our standout product updates:

Turbo+ plan: In May, we unveiled the Turbo+ plan, designed to give creators even more value and flexibility. This premium plan eliminates withdrawal fees for naira transactions and significantly expands course hosting capabilities. Creators can now upload up to 60 courses with unlimited videos and offer up to 10 memberships, making it easier than ever to scale their offerings and grow their businesses.

Tickets by Selar: In July, we revamped one of our products, Tickets by Selar. Recognizing the importance of giving creators and event organizers the right tools for event ticketing, we took initiative to upgrade our ticketing product, giving our users the best ticketing experience. The upgrade introduced a sleek new interface and added powerful tools to make event management seamless and efficient. These enhancements include flexible event types, venue details, detailed agendas, calendar integration options, multiple ticket tiers (like VIP and regular) and so much more! In a year of bold strides, Tickets by Selar emerged as a game-changer, leading the charge. Notable brands like MI Abaga’s Tasck, Rooftop House, and Terra Kulture trusted Selar’s capabilities to handle ticketing seamlessly.

New coupon options: In October, we launched three new powerful coupon options to give our creators new tools they can use to boost their sales on Selar. The Bundled Products Coupon applies only when specific products are purchased together, encouraging customers to buy complementary items, like a course that comes with an e-book. The Product Group Coupon can be used when any product from a predefined group is checked out, offering more flexibility for shoppers. For example, creators could create a product group with 4 products, and this coupon would only work when any of the products in that group is checked out. Additionally, the Free Shipping Coupon automatically provides free shipping on orders, which is a great way to boost conversion and improve customer satisfaction. With these new features, we wanted to make shopping more rewarding and seamless for our users.

Affiliate resource sharing: In October we also introduced affiliate resource sharing for both merchants and affiliates. Merchants with products listed on the affiliate network are now able to upload and share promotional materials directly with their affiliates, which has made it easier for affiliates to promote products effectively. 

Pay with bank: To crown the year, in December we added the “Pay with Bank” option for seamless recurring payments. This new feature simplifies the payment process, providing a convenient way for customers to manage their subscriptions and payments.

Key partnerships and events 🤝

Selar’s journey in 2024 was marked by significant achievements in public relations and partnerships, all of which played a pivotal role in expanding the platform’s influence and solidifying its position as Africa’s leading creator platform.

Public relations & press: amplifying Selar’s voice across Africa

This year, we made significant strides in strategic PR efforts, marking milestones that showed our growing influence in the creator economy. One of our most notable achievements was our expansion to Kenya—a landmark move that generated widespread buzz across the East African country. With mentions in nine major publications, including The Star Kenya, Disrupt Africa, and Capital FM Online, we successfully established Selar’s presence in East Africa, ensuring our message resonated with creators across the region.

Beyond Kenya, Selar achieved impressive media mentions on top-tier platforms across Africa and globally. From early features on TechCabal and  The Nations Nigeria to consistent coverage in outlets like Tech laribi Ghana, Disrupt Africa, Business Today Kenya  and Business Insider Africa, each mention reinforced Selar’s reputation as a vital force in the creator economy. This consistent media presence deepened our reach in the continent and solidified our reputation as a trusted partner for creators in Africa. 

As a means of giving back, we launched our first CSR initiative, the Selar Tuition Fund where we paid part of the tuition of 50 students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Having engaged over 9,000 students who applied for the funding and trained them on the potential of the creator economy even as a student.

Partnerships: Building bridges for impact

We kicked off the year with a collaboration with Risevest for our Selar Creator Stories Video Series, a YouTube video series where we spoke with top creators about their creator journey, how they got started, and how they got to where they are right now. In this first season, we hosted Blessing Abeng, Jay-On-Air, Dwin The Stoic among other talented creators.

We also launched an ebook with our friends at PiggyVest, a manual that shows creators how to effectively manage and grow their finances. 

Strategic partnerships underscored our commitment to growth and inclusion in 2024. We explored partnerships with Brands like Business Day Nigeria and took it a step further with a Campus tour across five Nigerian universities in partnership with Prowess Factory, introducing tertiary students to the Selar and empowering them to monetize their skills. We also took centre stage at major events, further amplifying our voice. From Lagos TechFest to Moonshot by TechCabal, these speaking engagements solidified Selar’s authority in the creator economy, inspiring creators to explore new possibilities.

Events fostering connection on the creator landscape

In 2024, we took our community engagement to new heights, with the Selar Creator’s Summit standing as a landmark gathering for creators to network, learn, and grow alongside over twenty industry leaders. This annual event was attended by thousands of creators in over twenty countries across Africa and featured prominent speakers like Moe Odele, Wode Maya, Joshua Chibueze, Tunde Onakoya, and Chude Jideonwo, to name a few. Creators Summit has become a cornerstone for connecting Africa’s brightest minds in media, finance, content creation, and leadership, providing invaluable insights and strategies to help creators thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

We also had the first edition of Selar’s Creators Connect, a gathering of top African creators. This event provided a unique opportunity to engage with our users and vibrant creator community while allowing creators to connect directly with the team behind Selar, fostering stronger relationships and collaboration.

Looking to the future – 2025 🌟

In 2024, Selar didn’t just grow in numbers—it grew in influence, impact, and innovation. From empowering creators to forging meaningful partnerships and expanding into new markets, Selar remains a trailblazer, building a vibrant future for Africa’s creator economy.

As we step into 2025, we are more committed than ever to empowering creators and expanding the possibilities of the creator economy. With exciting new products on the horizon, including our enhanced page builder to tighten sales funnels for our creators, an email marketing feature, and the translation of our website into French for greater inclusivity for our Francophone users across Africa, and so much more we have on the pipeline. We are dedicated to offering solutions that make it easier for creators to grow their businesses and connect with their communities in meaningful ways. These updates mark just the beginning of our ongoing efforts to support and elevate the creator economy in Africa and beyond.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We invite to take front seat in Whatsapp community. Join us here and together, we will shape the future.

Here’s to another incredible year ahead! 🥂