When a South African brand manager opens the TikTok app today, the first thing they see is not a list of popular influencers but a new menu called TikTok One. The feature promises a more structured way to discover creators and turn their videos into advertising, but the real question for marketers is whether they will move budget into this emerging infrastructure.
According to the announcement on Bizcommunity, TikTok reports that the number of creators earning rewards through TikTok One grew 90% year-on-year between June 2025 and May 2026, and creators took part in more than twice as many brand collaborations each month. Those figures are global, not South African, and the company cautions that they should not be read as a forecast for local earnings. The opportunity for South Africa therefore hinges on whether brands actually allocate spend to these creator-led models.
From influence to infrastructure
The core shift described in the release is that a creator is no longer just a person posting a sponsored image. TikTok One positions a creator as creative talent, media channel, community builder and performance driver all at once. One video can start organically, be pulled into a brand campaign, receive paid amplification and deliver a measurable outcome. For marketers this means the brief changes from “how many followers do you have?” to “can you create attention, build community and deliver paid-media performance?”
TikTok One does not replace existing brand deals, agencies or TikTok Live, and it does not guarantee payment based solely on views. Instead it adds another layer to a broader monetisation system that includes TikTok Live gifts, video gifts, creator rewards, music campaigns and direct sales of a creator’s own products or services. For South African creators the platform currently lacks access to the full TikTok Creator Rewards Programme, meaning a video with hundreds of thousands of views will not automatically generate a payout.
Marketers can work with creators through four TikTok One models: Creator Marketing (custom content for a fee), Spark Opportunity (paid media behind existing creator videos, with earnings tied to campaign performance), Creative Challenge (creators respond to brand briefs with performance-driven content) and Creator-Led Package (agencies invite creators into campaigns). Minimum follower thresholds are modest, Spark Opportunity from 500 followers and Creative Challenge from 1,000, but eligibility and payment structures vary by project and are subject to advertiser investment and performance.
Live streaming adds another dimension. A regular video generates views, while a Live session can produce interaction, virtual gifts, Diamonds and even recurring subscriptions. For commerce-focused creators this format can act as content, entertainment, product demo and conversion tool simultaneously, giving brands a richer way to engage audiences.
For South African marketers the immediate task is practical: assess which TikTok One models align with campaign goals, set up measurement frameworks that capture attention, community growth and conversion, and decide how much of the media budget to allocate to creator-driven assets versus traditional paid media. The shift from influence to infrastructure does not guarantee higher ROI, but it does broaden the toolbox for reaching audiences that increasingly spend time on short-form video.
More on how to integrate creator content into paid campaigns can be found in our SME & Entrepreneurship hub.
Bizcommunity reported that TikTok One also bundles a tool called Branded Buzz, which lets brands surface creator content in a dedicated feed for users to discover, expanding the reach beyond a single campaign. The platform distinguishes between flat-fee arrangements and performance-based revenue shares, meaning a creator may receive a set amount up front or a percentage of ad spend tied to Spark Opportunity results. Payment documentation confirms that each TikTok One project can adopt a different structure, and eligibility thresholds remain modest, Spark Opportunity from 500 followers and Creative Challenge from 1,000, but the exact terms depend on advertiser investment and the creator’s ability to meet campaign KPIs.
Bizcommunity reported that Spark Opportunity enables an existing creator video to be turned into a Spark Ad, allowing brands to amplify content that has already proven engaging. This model shifts the focus from follower count to the creator’s capacity to generate paid-media performance, with earnings linked to the amount advertisers invest in the ad boost. Because the Spark Ad format pulls organic videos into the paid ecosystem, creators can benefit from both the organic reach of their original post and the additional exposure driven by the brand’s media spend, creating a hybrid revenue stream that blends creator-led storytelling with traditional advertising spend.
Bizcommunity reported that TikTok Live now offers a subscription feature, letting creators build recurring revenue from their most engaged viewers. Eligible creators can collect virtual Gifts during a livestream, which are converted into Diamonds and later into cash, subject to TikTok’s regional policies. The subscription model adds a predictable income line, complementing one-off Gifts and the broader TikTok One monetisation suite. For commerce-focused creators, this means a livestream can serve simultaneously as product showcase, community hub, and a direct sales channel, reinforcing the platform’s push to blur the lines between content, community and commerce.
For South African business owners, the key takeaway is that TikTok One introduces a multi-layered monetisation framework that requires new measurement practices. Marketers must track not only reach and engagement but also the incremental lift from Spark Ads, the revenue share from performance-based deals, and the recurring income from Live subscriptions. Watching how advertisers allocate spend across these models will signal which routes gain traction locally. As the platform rolls out additional features, businesses should stay alert to changes in eligibility criteria, payment structures and the availability of tools like Branded Buzz, ensuring their creator strategies remain aligned with evolving TikTok One capabilities.
