A new digital marketplace called ZAUMU has officially launched in Kenya, claiming it will transform the relationship between brands and content creators. Described by its founders as an end-to-end influencer campaign management solution, ZAUMU says it aims to bridge gaps that have long plagued the digital marketing industry.
According to ZAUMU co-founder Cedric Nzomo, the platform is intended to directly connect brands with creators, provide transparency on campaign deliverables, and guarantee prompt payments based on project milestones. ZAUMU claims this will address inefficiencies that have historically held back influencer marketing from reaching its full potential in Kenya.
ZAUMU Identifies Opportunity in a Struggling Ecosystem
ZAUMU argues that while brands have been steadily increasing their digital marketing budgets, actual spending on content creators remains extremely low. Citing data from Statista, ZAUMU says Kenya’s influencer marketing spend stood at just $2.5 million (over KES 320 million) in 2024 against a potential of $25 million (over KES 3.2 billion).
The company claims that up to 90% of digital projects earmarked for influencers “never see the light of day” because of trust deficits, poor measurement tools, and brand-creator misalignment. Cedric Nzomo adds that traditional marketing, such as the 200 billboards between Waiyaki Way and Nairobi CBD, continues to outperform Kenya’s entire influencer economy in revenue.
According to ZAUMU, citing research from Odipodev, 76% of Gen Zs in Kenya aspire to become professional content creators. Cedric Nzomo argues that “the beauty of content creation is that you can monetize what you’re already doing,” highlighting why ZAUMU sees this sector as ripe for disruption.
This environment, ZAUMU says, presents an opportunity for a platform built specifically for Africa’s digital economy needs.
How ZAUMU Says It Will Work
ZAUMU lists several features it claims will differentiate it from existing models:
- Transparent Job Listings: Brands will openly list campaigns with full budget disclosure. Payments must be deposited in advance and released according to project milestones.
- Streamlined Contracting and IP Protection: Contracts will be handled digitally, giving creators more visibility over usage rights and payment terms.
- Direct Brand-Creator Communication: ZAUMU promises private and secure communication to co-create campaigns without third-party intermediaries.
- Automated Reporting and Payment Tracking: Brands will be able to track campaign progress while creators can monitor milestones.
- Feedback and Reputation System: Brands and creators will rate each other to build trust over time.
- AI-Powered Assistance: The platform will feature built-in AI tools for brainstorming, moderation, and campaign support.
ZAUMU positions itself as a free self-registration platform for both brands and creators at https://zaumu.com.
Kenya’s Influencer Marketing Challenges Are Well Documented
ZAUMU’s claims come against a backdrop of persistent problems in Kenya’s influencer marketing space. As reported previously on Techish Kenya, platforms like Wowzi have raised significant funding – over $2 million in seed funding – to scale their creator marketplace across Africa. However, even with these investments, influencer marketing remains fraught with difficulties.
Brands often struggle to find the right creators, and creators frequently complain about delayed payments and opaque contract terms. The recent partnership between Wowzi and TikTok to manage creator collaborations in Kenya was seen as a step forward, but systemic issues have persisted.
The issue of payment delays has also been highlighted by disputes such as the one involving comedian Flaqo and OPPO Kenya, where unpaid influencer work through a third-party agency led to public fallout. These incidents underscore the deep trust gap ZAUMU claims it wants to fix.
Globally, the rise of platforms like Partipost – which raised $3.5 million to allow anyone with 200 followers to join influencer campaigns – has shown the scale and complexity of managing open creator marketplaces. While democratization of influence is a growing trend, it has also introduced challenges like influencer fraud and diluted campaign effectiveness.
Can ZAUMU Succeed Where Others Have Struggled?
While ZAUMU’s promises sound appealing, real questions remain about whether it can deliver meaningful change. Building trust between brands and creators is not just a technical problem – it is deeply cultural and operational.
Issues such as intellectual property disputes, manipulation of engagement metrics, exploitation of nano and micro-influencers, and the dominance of a few large agencies are not easily solved by platforms alone. As seen with Wowzi’s journey and disputes like Flaqo’s, technical platforms often find themselves constrained by broader market behaviors, entrenched practices, and informal working cultures.
Moreover, introducing automated processes and milestone-based payments, while promising in theory, depends heavily on the actual behavior of users. Transparency tools only work if both brands and creators actively engage with them in good faith.
Ultimately, ZAUMU has correctly spotted a real gap in the market. However, whether its marketplace approach will be enough to reshape Kenya’s influencer economy – or whether it will face the same difficulties as its predecessors – remains to be seen.
For now, creators and brands in Kenya have another platform to try.
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