With a focus on connecting communities, supporting the creator ecosystem and driving innovation, Meta says it has strategically directed resources toward initiatives that align with its mission to give people the power to build communities and bring the world closer together. 

"As we reflect on the past year, we are thrilled to announce our key milestones and investments across sub-Saharan Africa," says Kezia Anim-Addo, communications director at Meta for Africa, Middle East and Turkey.

"We remain committed to the continent, and our 2023 highlights reinforce some of the impact we've been able to create by supporting the growing ecosystems of creators and building communities through technology," Anim-Addo concludes. 

Some of the key highlights in the '2023 Year in Review' include the following:
  • Creator Lab Live: Meta launched the Creator Lab Live, a first-of-its-kind educational in-real-life programme for creators in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa to inspire creativity, spread positivity, build connections and demonstrate care for the creator community.
  • Instagram creators x Brand Academy nano course: It launched the Instagram Creators x Brand Academy nano course in South Africa in partnership with Red and Yellow (Creative School of Business), a short course to educate creators, aspiring creators and brands on best practices.
  • 'Made by Africa, Loved by the World': It announced the rising stars edition of the 'Made by Africa, Loved by the World' campaign to amplify the voices and stories of eight emerging young talents across Africa who are building a global presence and changing the way the continent and its people are viewed on the international stage, including rolling out the Instagram '#AfricaMade' Reels challenge.
  • WhatsApp channels: It launched a content series through collaboration with local content creators in sub-Saharan Africa to showcase the benefits of WhatsApp Channels for users.
  • EbaSafeOnline: Meta aunched a first-of-its-kind youth safety educational comic book titled '#EbaSafeOnline', available in 11 of South Africa's official languages in partnership with Ethnikids, an online bookstore in South Africa.
  • Youth safety and wellbeing: Meta held a Youth Safety and Wellbeing week in South Africa, engaging with more than 300 youths, parents, educators and policymakers to educate and inform youth and parents about Meta's safety tools.
  • My Digital World: It hosted a Digital Literacy for Peacebuilding forum in Ethiopia to address the role of digital literacy in peacebuilding and announce the expansion of My Digital World, which is aimed at equipping young people with information and skills to help them thrive in a digitally connected world.
  • African XR Realities Lab: Meta partnered with Electric South to launch the African XR Realities Lab, an incubation programme featuring eight Extended Reality prototypes leveraging diverse, immersive technologies.
  • Meta Connect 2023: It launched a digital campaign in collaboration with Nigerian creators to produce captivating content in anticipation of the annual Meta Connect conference.

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