Localising the Creator Economy: How South African Student Influencers Adapt Global Monetisation Strategies on TikTok and Instagram

The global creator economy has generated standardised monetisation strategies, yet their effectiveness varies significantly across regional contexts. This study examines how South African student influencers adapt global monetisation approaches to local market conditions on TikTok and Instagram. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from 20 student influencers (aged 18–28, 1000–50,000 followers) through structured surveys and thematic coding of social media content across diverse categories including beauty, lifestyle, and gaming. Our findings reveal three key adaptation patterns: (1) Strategic localisation—influencers modify brand partnership approaches to align with local business practices and payment capabilities; (2) Platform arbitrage—creators leverage platform-specific features differently than global best practices due to regional access limitations, particularly TikTok’s creator fund restrictions; and (3) Resource-constrained innovation—student influencers develop alternative monetisation methods, including direct product sales and educational content, to overcome socio-economic barriers. Beauty influencers demonstrate the highest adaptation success with brand sponsorships (35% of participants), whilst micro-influencers pivot towards affiliate marketing and entrepreneurial ventures. The study contributes to platform economy literature by demonstrating that successful monetisation requires strategic adaptation rather than direct replication of global models. These findings offer practical insights for creators in emerging markets and platform developers seeking to support regional creator economies. The research highlights the need for context-sensitive approaches to digital entrepreneurship in the Global South.