YouTube is marking 20 years of being operational. The platform has achieved several milestones as adoption has spread to several countries in the past decade, with its uploads reaching 20 million daily.
“From the 19-second clip that started it all, to now over 20 billion uploaded videos, including music, Shorts, podcasts, and more, we’ve grown so much in just two decades,” YouTube’s senior product manager Viraj Mahesh stated.
In Africa, YouTube has also experienced immense growth, with Egypt leading as the country with the highest user base, now exceeding 45 million users. Nigeria and South Africa follow behind with 28 million and 25 million users, respectively.
While the platform became fully adopted in Africa in the last decade, several Africans have benefited from its content. From comedy to music videos to variety content, African creators are leveraging the platform’s versatility to improve the experience.
Here are some of the most influential African channels and celebrities on YouTube:
1. Lord Ahmed:
From Tunisia, Lord Ahmed has become Africa’s most followed celebrity on YouTube. He has over 16.5 million subscribers with over 5 billion total views on YouTube.
2. Mohamed Ramadan:
An actor, singer, and performer from Egypt with over 15.9 million subscribers on YouTube. He has over 6 billion total views.
3. Saad Lamjarred:
This Moroccan artist has over 15.5 million followers on YouTube with a total view rate of 4.9 billion.
4. Shawar:
Also from Egypt, his channel boasts 14.1 million subscribers and over 5 billion total views.
5. Oum Walid:
Captivating audiences with delicacies and recipes, Oum Walid has garnered 13.7 million subscribers and over 3 billion total views on YouTube.
6. Ahmed Karim:
This Egyptian YouTuber delivers a variety of reaction videos and entertainment content. He has over 12.9 million subscribers and over 8.6 billion total views.
7. Soolking:
Soolking is an Algerian rapper with 10.9 million subscribers and 3.7 billion views on YouTube.
8. Ryan HD:
Also known as Ryan Humpard, this South African YouTuber is famous for his comedy skits and unique storytelling. He has over 9.99 million subscribers and over 7 billion total views.
9. Diamond Platnumz:
Nasibu Abdul Juma Issaack, also known as Diamond Platnumz, is a Tanzanian artist with over 9.9 million subscribers on YouTube and 2.9 billion total views.
10. MarkAngel Comedy:
This Nigerian comedy series holds over 9.45 million subscribers and has garnered over 2.4 billion total watch views.
11. Noel Deyzel:
This South African bodybuilder blends fitness and motivational talks, creating videos that motivate, educate, and inspire the fitness community. He now has over 7.36 million subscribers and 3 billion total views.
12. Abgaps Shorts:
Famous for posting comedy videos using 3D animations, Nigerian social media star Agbaps has over 7.2 million subscribers with 3.7 billion total views.
13. Burna Boy:
One of Nigeria’s top export artists who has garnered much attention for his style of music. Burna Boy has 5.29 million subscribers and 3.2 billion total views.
14. Tyla:
The “Water” crooner who bagged a Grammy Award in 2024 for her single, which went viral on social media. Tyla has 4.76 million subscribers and 1.7 billion views.
15. Masaka Kids:
These Ugandan kids have won the hearts of many with their dance steps and energetic content. They have 4.24 million subscribers and over 1.2 billion total views.
16. CKay:
The Nigerian artist, who blew up after his song “Love Nwantiti” went viral on social media. The song has now surpassed 500 million views on YouTube. CKay now has 4.1 million subscribers on his channel and 1.5 billion total views.
17. Trevor Noah:
Known for his comedy and recently his podcast, Trevor has accumulated 4 million subscribers on YouTube alongside 333 million total views.
18. SamSpedy:
Popularly known for his family series “The Ojo Family,” Sam is a content creator who now has over 3.94 million subscribers and 1.4 billion views.
19. Flavour:
Nigeria’s heartthrob, who has stolen the heart of many with his title track “Nwa baby,” which now has 144 million views. Flavour boasts of 3.6 million subscribers and 1.4 billion views on YouTube.
20. Pastor Jerry Eze:
Lead pastor of Streams of Joy International and convener for New Season Prophetic Prayers (NSPPD), Jerry Eze has amassed 2.6 million subscribers and over 559 million views.
Honourable mentions
Some notable mentions include;
- 5 Minute Crafts: Owned by the Egyptian company Marshaal production, this crafts and DIY channel has over 81 million subscribers on YouTube, and 28 billion total views.
- Dope Lyrics: Features popular music curations and lyric videos, and has over 15 million subscribers and 933 million total views.
- Latest Sightings: A wildlife and lifestyle channel from South Africa which has over 5.9 million subscribers and over 4 billion total views.
- Channels TV: Nigerian news and media organisation which has 3.5 million subscribers and over 1.5 billion total views.
