Starting August 6, 2024, Medium has expanded its Partner Program to include writers from over 77 new countries. This expansion includes several African nations: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
Now, writers in these countries can earn revenue when Medium members engage with their stories. The online platform can also recruit and pay Boost nominators from these African countries.
The Boost Nomination Program highlights top stories, increasing their visibility through curators and community editors. Nominators receive a flat fee for each selected story.
Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine explained the company’s expansion, stating, “At Medium, we believe there are great stories everywhere.
“We want to be a home for perspectives from diverse countries, demographics, cultures, and experiences. By expanding our Partner Program, we hope to deepen our collective understanding of the world.”
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Eligibility and Earnings for the Program
To join the Medium Partner Program, writers must be Medium members, have published a story in the last six months, have a bank account in an eligible country, and be at least 18 years old.
Earnings depend on the time members spend reading and listening to stories and engagement signals like claps, highlights, replies, and new follows. The read ratio is calculated by dividing the number of people who read stories for 30 seconds or more by the total number of views.
Writers can choose to place their stories behind a paywall, making them accessible only to paying Medium members. Payments are processed through Stripe.
For those not yet Medium members, memberships cost $60–$180 per year or $5–$12 monthly. New members can enjoy a 20% discount for a limited time.
After meeting the eligibility criteria, click the provided link to get started. Upon receiving Partner Program status and agreeing to Medium’s terms, follow these steps to complete enrollment:
- Click “Continue with onboarding” to start.
- Complete the required information to create or connect your Stripe account.
- Link your Medium account with an active Stripe account to set up payouts. Stripe confirms that all new countries can now receive cross-border payouts. Check if your country is eligible for Stripe payouts, then read the article on setting up payouts with Stripe.
- Provide your taxpayer information to Tipalti, Medium’s third-party payment service for payouts. You will get an email confirmation after submitting your taxpayer information. Tipalti may take up to 5 business days to verify your forms.
Medium requires a minimum of $10 in story earnings before sending payouts to your Stripe account. If you don’t reach $10 in a month, the amount will roll over to the next month. Once enrollment is complete, start putting new and existing stories behind the paywall to earn revenue.
Monetizing Your Stories on Medium
As a Medium Partner Program writer, you can decide whether to enable monetization for each story. When activated, the story will be accessible only to Medium members and placed behind a paywall. Here’s how to make your posts eligible to earn money:
For Desktop:
- Once you’ve finished writing your story, click Publish.
- Make sure the “Paywall your story” checkbox is selected.
- Click Publish now to make your story live.
For iOS/Android:
- Once you’ve finished writing your story, tap Next.
- Enable the “Members Only” option to make your story eligible for the paywall.
- Tap Publish now to make your story live.
Once your stories are behind the paywall, you will start earning based on Medium member activity, such as reading, listening, claps, highlights, and replies.
As members engage with your stories, you will receive a share of their membership dues. Stories highlighting your expertise and personal insights generally perform better and generate more revenue. Track your earnings in your Partner Program Dashboard.
Global platforms are now actively finding ways to help content creators in Africa monetize their work. In June 2024, Meta updated its policy to enable content creators in Nigeria and Ghana to earn ad revenue on Instagram and Facebook. Starting from August 6, 2024, Meta also rolled out these monetization tools to content creators in Kenya.
The rise of digital media and online content opens new opportunities for African creators to monetize their content and reach a global audience. This shift reflects the growing recognition of the rich talent pool in Africa and the demand for diverse voices in the digital space.