Kenya’s film industry is growing at a commendable pace, creating employment opportunities for young talented individuals and celebrities.

Creatives have produced various movies and commercials that air on local televisions, with the field being one of the most lucrative. But how much do they pay their actors and actresses?

According to various media reports, TV actors and actresses are paid differently based on the medium, experience, and budget. They can be paid daily, weekly, or per episode.

Gorge Orido, the founder and director of Sanaa Theatre Awards, says the highest-paid actors can take home up to Sh1 million per day depending on how many days they are needed on set.

He notes that the top-paid are highly valued individuals who are seasoned on television or movies. Local TV series actors on location are reportedly paid between Sh1,000 to Sh10,000 per day.

Citizen TV actors are reportedly the best paid and earn between Sh10,000 and Sh25,000 per episode, depending on the roles they play.

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“NTV and KTN actors are the lowest paid, between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000 per episode. Other platforms like MNet pay in premiums, that is, at least Sh25,000 and above per episode,” a producer within Citizen TV’s former drama series, Maria, said.

“So if six episodes are aired in a month, you earn around Sh150,000 per month. If they are aired four times, you earn Sh100,000 per month,”  he added.

According to Nini Wacera, a veteran Kenyan actress, actors earn between Sh50,000 and Sh80,000 per month, with big names taking home around Sh200,000.

“When I was doing Wingu La Moto, I was getting paid Sh170,000 for every season, which rose to Sh190,000, that was a long time”, Nini told Sunday Nation.

“…Now a lot of actors are earning Sh50,000, Sh80,000 per month, and around Sh200,000 if you are this big star. Which means there has been no increase of wages for actors from 2002 when I started to now,” she added.