1M YouTube views nets Pandeni a ‘shocking’ N$900

Namibian artist Pandeni has sparked debate over the country’s digital economy after revealing that his music video ‘Okay’ earned a meagre N$900 from YouTube over a year, despite reaching one million views.

He said the amount reflects YouTube monetisation revenue only and excludes earnings from other streaming platforms. “The N$900 is the earnings from YouTube monetisation of the music video over a year at 1M views, exclusive of any other platform,” he said.

He said his Spotify earnings were higher despite attracting far fewer streams. “The N$900 is even less than what I made on Spotify with just 40k+ streams, shockingly so,” he said.

Pandeni said Namibia’s low digital advertising rates remain a major barrier for local creators trying to build sustainable online income streams.

He added that he had registered his account in South Africa because Namibian audiences are considered less commercially valuable by advertisers.

"The biggest challenge is our Namibian fanbase being rated dormant, meaning ad ratings in this country are below average,” he explained.

The musician urged government to address gaps in digital monetisation infrastructure, including access to global payment systems.

“To the [information and communication ministry], I kindly request the matter of YouTube partnership programme, PayPal and other essential services that could push Namibian creatives to the highest of levels to be treated as a matter of urgency,” he said.

Tackling the issue

“Yes, Namibia has been classified as a low-CPM market by digital platforms such as YouTube, limiting the earning potential of local content creators,” information and communication ministry executive director Linda Aipinge-Nakale told Namibian Sun recently.

She said government has already introduced measures aimed at improving digital monetisation opportunities.

“In 2025, the ministry announced initiatives to facilitate YouTube monetisation and incorporate digital payment services such as PayPal and Apple Pay".

On concerns about revenue flows within the digital ecosystem, she admitted that although Namibians spend large amounts on data to access online content, creators do not directly benefit.

“Namibians do spend a significant amount of data on online entertainment platforms to access and stream local content, yet the financial benefits derived from these expenditures do not reach the creators themselves, as telecommunications profits largely remain within the sector."

Still exploring

Aipinge-Nakale added that discussions are ongoing to create a more beneficial and balanced digital economy.

“There is an intention to explore future frameworks that would balance telecom profitability with cultural and creative sector sustainability,” she said.

Meanwhile, the arts and culture ministry said the challenges facing digital creators cut across multiple sectors.

“The challenges surrounding digital monetisation for Namibian creators are complex and involve multiple sectors, including financial systems, digital infrastructure, global platform policies and market scale considerations,” the ministry’s executive director, Mbumba Erastus Haitengela, told Namibian Sun.

Haitengela also clarified that regulatory oversight of the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) lies with the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA).

When contacted for comment, BIPA said it will reply at a later stage.

“BIPA is currently consulting internally and engaging relevant stakeholders on the issues raised. An official response will be provided in due course following these discussions,” the authority said.