Why Africa’s response to YouTube failed

Local players in the African streaming market are hard hit the limited purchasing power of the majority of Africans.

This fundamental challenge, according to Osita Oparaugo, founder of Ogelle, Africa’s pioneering user-generated video sharing app, was the primary reason for the platform’s shutdown in 2024, despite it being originally hailed as the ‘African YouTube.’

In a striking interview, Jason Njoku, CEO of IrokoTV, called his $100 million investment into Africa’s streaming market a ‘costly mistake’ after addressing rumours of his streaming platform shutting down in the Nigerian market. His words underscored steep challenges local streaming platforms face on a continent where ambition often outpaces purchasing power.

Oparaugo knows this struggle all too well. After pouring nearly $18 million into his Pan-African dream—only to shut it down —he’s now breaking his silence. In this exclusive story, Oparaugo shared how he built Ogelle to reclaim Africa’s narrative, battled global giants like YouTube, and learned hard lessons about a market not yet ready for paid subscriptions.

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Ogelle: Platform for Africa’s voices

Ogelle launched in 2019 with a bold mission: To be the YouTube of Africa, a space where Africans could create and share content in their own languages. Unlike global platforms, Ogelle focused on user-generated videos in indigenous tongues—Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Swahili, Zulu, and more. Oparaugo saw it as a way to preserve African cultures and give local creators a stage. “We wanted Africans to tell their own stories,” he said. The app took off fast, rolling out in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Within two years, Oparaugo visited 27 African countries to fuel its growth.

The platform drew big names early on. Nigerian stars like Rema performed his hit ‘Dumebi’ at Ogelle’s studio the week it dropped. Comedians MC Lively and Bro Shaggy, and according to Oparaugo, 70 percent of Nigeria’s comedy and music celebrities, touched the platform in some way. In Kenya, influencer Eric Omondi and YouTuber 2nacheki—with over 1.2 million subscribers—joined the cause. Uganda and Tanzania saw top creators sign on too. Ogelle wasn’t just an app; it became a movement, a hub for raw, authentic African content.

Pan-African vision rooted in data

Oparaugo’s drive came from a deep Pan-African belief: Control the data, control the narrative. “Without data, there’s no artificial intelligence,” he explained. “And if Africa’s data sits with Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, they control our culture.” He pointed to global examples—Obama warning Zuckerberg about Russian meddling via Facebook data, or America pushing TikTok to sell over security fears from China. “If 200 million Americans are on TikTok and its data’s in China, that’s a problem,” he said. “So why isn’t Africa worried about its own data?”

Ogelle aimed to fix that. Oparaugo envisioned a platform where Igbo creators could share stories in Igbo, Yoruba in Yoruba, and so on across Africa—keeping languages and histories alive. “In 50 years, if we rely on global platforms, there’ll be no African story left,” he warned. The app lets creators post in their native tongues, building a digital archive for the continent’s youth. It was about more than entertainment but about sovereignty.

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Fight against giants, funding woes

Ogelle’s rise didn’t go unnoticed. YouTube, a global titan, flexed its muscle. In Rwanda, a creator averaging a million views in 22 days jumped to Ogelle, racking up five million views in six months. According to Oparaugo, YouTube stepped in, demanding he pull his videos from Ogelle or lose their payouts. In Nigeria, MC Lively made three skits for Ogelle in 2019 that exploded online. A week later, he reused the idea for a YouTube-MTN deal. “They started a subtle fight,” Oparaugo said. “They prised creators away.”

He didn’t panic. “We don’t have their war chest,” he told his team. Instead, Ogelle targeted everyday creators—people in places like Ogbomosho, Nigeria, making simple, cultural content, not polished YouTubers. The app paid them based on views, building a base of ‘Ogelle ambassadors.’ But the real blow came from within Africa itself: funding dried up.

The premium subscription model, meant to bankroll creator payments, flopped. “Africa isn’t ready for paid subscriptions,” Oparaugo admitted. “People want to pay, but they can’t.”

The COVID-19 pandemic made it worse. Lockdowns hit operations hard, and even as Oparaugo sent Nigerian artists to perform in open Tanzania, the financial strain grew. By April 2024, with $17.9 million invested from his pocket and that of his investors, Ogelle shut down. “We were ambitious,” he said. “Too ambitious.”

Echoes of IrokoTV’s struggles

Ogelle’s story mirrors IrokoTV’s. Jason Njoku’s $100 million bet on African streaming also faltered, undone by the same core issue: Africans lack the cash to sustain subscription services. “When I heard Iroko was $100 million down, I didn’t doubt it,” Oparaugo said. “I was there too.” Both platforms aimed to serve local audiences but hit a wall when monetising content. Njoku’s ‘costly mistake’ and Oparaugo’s $18 million loss paint a stark picture: Good intentions don’t pay bills.

Yet Oparaugo defends Njoku. “People who talk down on him are foolish,” he said. “He dared to dream.”

The lesson isn’t failure—it’s that Africa needs new models. Subscription fatigue isn’t unique to entertainment. Even education platform Edukoya shut down in 2024 after raising $3.5 million, unable to get users to pay. Oparaugo suspects even DSTV, a cable giant, might have fewer than five million active Nigerian subscribers. “They’ll have to rethink their model too,” he noted.

Lessons learned, hope intact

Shutting Ogelle stung, but Oparaugo sees it as a step, not a stop. “I’m better than you because I dreamt, because I walked,” he says to critics. “I’m not afraid to fail.” He spent two years crisscrossing Africa, from bustling Kenya to Tanzania, and saw resilience. “I saw a green Africa, full of opportunities,” he said. The continent’s youth—477 million aged 17 to 40—hold untapped potential. Ogelle tapped into that, even if it couldn’t last.

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Now, he’s plotting a comeback. Talks with investors are underway to relaunch Ogelle with a smarter approach. “We’re $18 million down, but we’re not out,” he insisted. The subscription model’s off the table. Africa’s not there yet—but the vision endures. He wants a platform that pays creators, preserves culture, and keeps data in African hands. “If you’d ask me to do it again, I’d say yes,” he said.

Ogelle and IrokoTV stand as warnings for anyone eyeing Africa’s streaming market. The continent brims with talent and hunger for content, but the economics doesn’t add up—yet. Investors need to grasp this gap between desire and dollars. Still, Oparaugo’s story isn’t one of defeat. It’s about daring to build something bigger than profit, something for Africa’s soul.

His parting words carry weight: “Whoever controls the data controls the narrative.” Ogelle may have paused, but its mission—to give Africa that control—lives on. The next chapter’s already in motion.