The business of influence is no longer a side hustle. Across Africa, digital creators are building brands, shaping culture, and in some cases, earning more than traditional professionals.

As this new economy grows, governments are waking up to a reality they can no longer ignore: money is moving online, and tax systems built for a pre-digital era are struggling to keep up.

Cameroon is the latest country to step into this conversation.

During a recent budget presentation in Ngaoundere, Finance Minister Louis-Paul Motaze announced that the Cameroonian government intends to bring influencers and content creators into the formal tax net. The plan is to track income earned from online advertising, brand partnerships, and monetization on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

On paper, the logic is straightforward. As the creator economy expands, so does the pool of taxable income. Many young Cameroonians are making significant earnings online, sometimes far exceeding salaries in traditional sectors, yet operating largely outside formal tax structures. The government’s move signals an attempt to modernize public finance and ensure that digital income contributes to national development.

But as with many policy shifts across the continent, the announcement raises more questions than it answers.

At present, details remain scarce. Authorities have not clarified key aspects of the policy, including:

Minimum income thresholds for taxation

Reporting mechanisms for creators

How earnings from foreign platforms will be assessed?

Whether taxes will apply to brand deals, ad revenue, or both?

How enforcement will work in practice?

This lack of clarity is not a minor technical issue, it is the heart of the matter.

Without clear guidelines, creators are left in limbo, unsure of what they owe, how to comply, or whether they are at risk of penalties. Worse still, vague rules can open the door to selective enforcement, where some creators are targeted while others slip through the cracks.

Cameroon is far from alone in this shift.

South Africa has already begun taxing influencer earnings more systematically, treating online income in much the same way as any other form of freelance or self-employed revenue. Other countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, are also grappling with how to regulate and tax digital work.

Globally, this is part of a broader reckoning. Traditional tax systems were built around formal employment, physical businesses, and local transactions. Today, a creator in Yaoundé can earn in dollars from American advertisers, receive payments through global platforms, and reach audiences across multiple borders, all without ever signing a local contract.

The challenge for African governments is not whether to tax digital creators. That debate is largely settled. Most creators understand that contributing to public revenue is part of citizenship. The deeper question is how to design tax systems that are fair, transparent, and enabling rather than punitive.

If taxes are too high, poorly explained, or aggressively enforced, they risk pushing creators further into informality. If implemented thoughtfully, however, taxation could actually legitimize the sector, making it easier for creators to access loans, partnerships, and government support.

There is also a cultural dimension to this discussion.

Influencers are not just entrepreneurs, they are storytellers, trendsetters, and shapers of modern African identity. From fashion and music to politics and social justice, they play a role in defining how Africa is seen by itself and the world. Any policy that affects them also affects the continent’s creative future.

For Cameroonian creators, the next few months will be decisive. The government now has an opportunity to engage openly with the creative community, consult industry stakeholders, and craft a system that recognizes both the economic and cultural value of digital creators.

The question is whether it will.

As the continent navigates this new digital frontier, one thing is clear: the creator economy is here to stay. The challenge is ensuring that Africa’s policies evolve in a way that nurtures innovation rather than stifling it.