Social platform monetisation stands on the rights you hold in what you publish. A page can meet every follower and view threshold and still be excluded because the content is not lawfully the creator’s to monetise.
This page covers the eligibility rules and, in more detail, the rights and originality requirements that decide most refusals.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
What social content monetisation generally requires.
- A creator or page administrator aged 18 or older
- A page or account in a country where the programme operates
- A stated minimum of followers and of views or watch time, set by the platform
- Compliance with the platform’s partner monetisation policies and content policies
- Original content you own or are licensed to use
- No unresolved copyright or community standards violations
- A page in good standing, with a history the platform considers authentic
- A verified payout account in your legal name
- Tax and identity information provided to the platform
Identification and Account Requirements
Thresholds are set by the platform and change. Follower counts, view or watch-time requirements and the qualifying window are revised, and different monetisation products on the same platform carry different thresholds. Check the platform’s own documentation for the current figures.
Most refusals are about content rights, not numbers. Compilations, reposted videos, clips from broadcast media, memes made from other people’s images and content assembled without meaningful original contribution are excluded, and this is the largest single category of refusal.
You must own or be licensed for everything in the video — the footage, the images, the music and any third-party clips. The Copyright Act 98 of 1978 protects the rights holder, and the platform’s automated matching enforces it whether or not a person complains.
Music is the usual failure point. A commercial track is licensed for listening, not for use as a soundtrack in monetised content. Use properly licensed production music or the platform’s own licensed library, and read what that library permits for monetised and branded content.
Faces and identifiable people carry their own issues. Filming identifiable individuals and publishing that for commercial gain raises rights and privacy questions under POPIA 4 of 2013 and the common law. Get permission for content built around identifiable people, especially children.
News, politics and health content are subject to additional restrictions on many platforms, and monetisation may be limited or excluded for them regardless of quality.
Engagement bait and misleading content are policy violations that block monetisation — content designed to force clicks or comments rather than to be watched.
Documents and Verification Required
What is needed to be paid.
- Identity verification, generally with a South African ID or passport
- A payout account in the same legal name as the account or page
- A South African bank account, or another accepted payment method
- Your South African tax number
- Tax information submitted through the platform’s process
- Proof of address, where required
- Business or entity registration documents, where the page is monetised through a business account
- Two-step verification enabled on the administering account
Fees, Limits and Service Conditions
Payouts have a minimum threshold and are made on the platform’s schedule. Earnings below the threshold roll over, so early revenue can sit for months.
Revenue share, currency conversion and provider fees all sit between what an advertiser pays and what reaches your bank account. Judge the economics on what actually arrives.
A copyright claim can divert revenue to the rights holder rather than blocking the video, which means a creator can publish steadily and earn nothing on the affected content. Check whether claims are sitting on your library.
Declare the income to SARS. Earnings from monetised content are taxable income for a South African tax resident wherever the payer sits, and are declared on the annual return. Keep platform statements and bank records from the first payment.
Sponsored content must be disclosed. Under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the advertising codes, paid promotion must be identifiable as advertising. Undisclosed paid content exposes both creator and advertiser.
Monetisation is a continuing condition. It can be suspended for policy violations, for inauthentic activity, or where a page is judged to have been repurposed. Read the partner monetisation policies once properly rather than after a suspension.
How to Apply, Open or Activate
Audit the content library before applying. Remove or replace anything you do not own or are not licensed to use, and resolve outstanding claims. An application refused for rights reasons is harder to reverse than one never made.
Keep licences and releases on file — music licences, stock footage licences, permission from identifiable people. Rights disputes are decided on documents.
Apply through the platform’s own creator tools; there is no external application, and no third party can grant access.
Match the names across the account, the identity document and the payout account, or verified earnings will not be paid.
Do not buy followers, likes or views. Inauthentic engagement is detected, and it disqualifies pages from monetisation.
Ignore paid “approval” services. The policies are published free, no one outside the platform can approve a page, and many of these services exist to obtain your account credentials. Monetised page takeovers are a routine attack.
Secure the administering accounts. Two-step verification on every administrator, no shared passwords, and no page access granted to an unverified “agency”. Removing a hostile administrator from a page is far harder than never adding one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was my page refused despite meeting the thresholds?
Most refusals are about content rights and originality rather than numbers — reposted material, compilations and unlicensed music. Audit the library before reapplying.
Can I use popular music in monetised videos?
Not without the right licence. A commercial track is licensed for listening, not as a soundtrack in monetised content. Use licensed production music or the platform’s own library within its stated terms.
What happens when a copyright claim is made?
Revenue on the affected content can be diverted to the rights holder rather than the video being removed, so you can keep publishing and earn nothing on it. Check for claims sitting on your library.
Do I have to disclose sponsored posts?
Yes. Paid promotion must be identifiable as advertising under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the advertising codes. Undisclosed paid content exposes both creator and advertiser.
Eligibility thresholds, partner monetisation policies, payout terms and revenue shares are set by the platform and are revised. Confirm current requirements with the platform, and confirm your tax position with SARS or a registered tax practitioner.