Samsung and the Content Creator Awards have introduced two free “Creator Labs” for South African content creators, extending the awards program’s focus beyond its annual ceremony to offer practical training on monetization, technology and industry relationships.

The first “Creator Lab” took place on September 2 at Workshop17 in Sandton, drawing approximately 150 creators. The second ran on September 11 at Workshop17’s V&A Waterfront location in Cape Town, extending the initiative to creators in the Western Cape. The program was created by Manuela Dias de Deus, founder of the Content Creator Awards, which Samsung sponsors.

Sessions covered content monetization, tax and legal compliance, financial management, and commercial opportunities available to creators, alongside contributions from platforms, brands and agencies. Samsung’s participation centered on AI-powered creativity and mobile tools for content production.

Speaking at the Labs, Rae Hargreaves, Head of Marketing: Mobile eXperience at Samsung South Africa, said follower count is only one factor brands weigh when selecting creators to work with. “We look at how you engage with your community, how consistent you are, the kind of conversations happening in your comments and whether your audience genuinely connects with what you are creating,” Hargreaves said.

The training push arrives against a backdrop of documented gaps in business preparedness and formal skills training among African creators. A UNESCO-backed study published this month found that only 10.4% of surveyed South African content creators had completed media and information literacy training, while separate research from Communiqué and TM Global found that 71% of African creators identified business strategy and management skills as critical to attracting investment, with just 4.2% of creators surveyed having received institutional funding to date.

Ashley Cloete, Head of Product Training at Samsung South Africa, used the sessions to demonstrate how Galaxy devices are positioned to simplify production. “The latest Galaxy foldables, for instance, including the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, put so many of the tools creators need into one device,” Cloete said. “You can capture, edit and share your content without needing a tripod or an extra pair of hands to make it happen.”

Hargreaves framed the Labs as an extension of Samsung’s existing commitment to creators. “Celebrating creators once a year is important, but supporting the Creator Economy means doing more than handing out trophies,” she said. “We need to create opportunities for creators to learn, connect and understand how they can turn their creativity into sustainable careers.”

The “Creator Labs” precede the Samsung-sponsored 2026 Content Creator Awards, scheduled for October 17 in Sandton.

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