While the South African creator economy and influencer industry may still be in its infancy, it is growing incredibly rapidly. With this rapid growth come growing pains, novice actors and concerns around standards and the potential for unethical practices. Future growth and sustained success needs to be built on a foundation of trust and a shared vision of what a healthy industry looks like. There is hence no better time for marketers and content creators to come together to embrace this challenge. In this Charter, “marketers” refer to brands and agency representatives, while “content creators” encompass creators, influencers, and their respective management.
The goal of the South African Content Creator Charter is to build a strong, mutually-beneficial relationship between marketers, content creators and their audiences. A relationship that is based on trust, respect, and shared values. We want our industry to be ethical, transparent, inclusive, and professional. A place where marketers and creators work together effectively, while continuing to adhere to the guidelines set by the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB). This charter aims to energise and inspire our industry to rise above mere compliance. It is a call to action for marketers, agencies, and creators to be intentional in our partnerships and to strive for excellence and authenticity.
By adhering to this Charter, both marketers and creators commit to contribute positively to the creator ecosystem, to respect each other’s roles and to respect the diverse audiences we serve.
The key principles guiding this charter include:
- Professional and respectful conduct between marketers and creators.
- The protection of trust from consumers through transparency and clarity on the nature of the relationship between creators and organisations that they work with.
- Compliance with industry regulations: adherence to guidelines set by the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) and other relevant bodies, including clearly disclosing all paid or sponsored content (e.g. #sponsored, #advert, #partner).
- The avoidance of misleading or false claims, while also actively engaging with and addressing consumer questions with accurate responses.
- Respect for privacy: protecting personal data and respecting user privacy at all times.
Creators who choose to participate in this initiative can use the Content Creators’ Commitments template provided below and post it in a place easily noticeable and accessible to their followers. Creators may also edit it to match their own tone and style, provided it remains consistent with the key principles listed above.
Organisations who choose to participate in this initiative can use the Marketers’ Commitments template provided below and post it in a place easily noticeable and accessible to their followers and consumers. Organisations may also edit it to match their own brand or legal guidelines, provided it remains consistent with the key principles listed above. It is expected that marketers and agencies will also incorporate the commitments listed in the Charter into their internal team training and agency/supplier agreements.