After graduating from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Fredrick Marwa couldn’t wait to board a plane to Colombia after having successfully secured a teaching job.
He had just lost his job at a local bank before landing his new job at Columbia as an English teacher. Marwa’s journey to the South American nation was marked with fulfilling moments as he interacted with people of diverse cultures.
It was through this journey that he decided to open a YouTube channel to share his experiences with his friends back home, a move that has seen him climb the ladder to join the YouTube millionaires club.
“When I started YouTube, I didn’t know I would get paid. I was just making the videos to show my boys back home the life I was living in Colombia.” He recalled.
His YouTube channel slowly started gaining traction, and the possibility of financial gain became a reality. His content majorly focuses on landscapes, traditions, and lifestyles of various countries.
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“At first, I wasn’t making so much money, but it increased over time. One day I made 60 dollars, and that is when I realized that this would be something,” he said.
His YouTube currently has over 2,000 videos and over 480k subscribers. According to YouTube’s requirements for making money on the platform, one should at least have 500 subscribers, with a minimum of 3 public uploads in the last 90 days and either 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million Shorts views in the last 90 days.
The money a YouTuber makes for 1,000 views, however, differs based on the type of content, geographical location, and length of the videos. Those in Western countries make more money than content creators in other countries.
For instance, a YouTuber in Kenya earns as low as Sh1,000 (under $10) per 10,000 views compared to the Sh.4,000 ($29.30) per 10,000 views earned by creators in Western countries for lengthy videos.
Another key thing in the amount of money creators make is the video watch time. While a video can attract a million views, it can create less revenue due to less watch time, with some viewers skipping ads or using ad blockers.
Through commitment and financial discipline, Marwa has made great achievements, including the construction of a multi-million mansion for his parents.
