Address
Arusha Njiro
Work Hours
80 Hours A week
Verdict:
- For Fast Fame: TikTok 🚀
- For Big Money: YouTube 💰
If you want to buy a house in Mbezi Beach, YouTube is the winner. If you want quick cash for the weekend, TikTok Live is the winner.
Here is the breakdown of the Real Numbers for 2025.
1. YouTube: The “Salary” Maker 💼
YouTube is the only platform that pays you a “Salary” (AdSense) every month just for people watching your videos.
- How you get paid: Advertisers (Coca-Cola, Vodacom) pay Google to show ads on your video. Google shares 55% of that money with you.
- The “Tanzania Problem” (CPM):
- If your viewers are in Tanzania, YouTube pays roughly $0.50 – $1.50 (TZS 1,300 – 4,000) for every 1,000 views.
- Why? Because ads in Tanzania are cheap.
- The “Diaspora Hack”:
- If your viewers are in the USA or UK, YouTube pays $5.00 – $15.00 (TZS 13,000 – 40,000) for the SAME 1,000 views.
- Monthly Potential (Real Data):
- 10,000 Views (TZ Audience): TZS 15,000.
- 10,000 Views (US Audience): TZS 250,000.
✅ Pros:
- Passive Income: You make money while you sleep from videos you posted 2 years ago.
- Direct Bank Transfer: Pays directly to CRDB/NMB/Equity (No PayPal stress).
❌ Cons:
- Hard to Join: You need 1,000 Subscribers + 4,000 Watch Hours.
2. TikTok: The “Hustle” Maker 🎤
Bad News: The “TikTok Creator Fund” (getting paid per view) DOES NOT EXIST in Tanzania. You can get 1 Million views on a TikTok video in Tanzania and earn TZS 0 (Zero).
The Only Way to Earn: TikTok LIVE Gifting.
You must go Live and beg viewers to send you “Roses,” “Lions,” and “Universes.”
- The Math (TikTok Coins):
- Viewer buys 1 Coin for: ~TZS 35 ($0.013).
- Viewer sends you a Gift.
- TikTok takes 50%. You keep 50%.
- Your Earnings: You earn approx TZS 15 ($0.005) per coin.
- Real Examples:
- Rose (1 Coin): You earn TZS 15.
- Money Gun (500 Coins): You earn TZS 7,500.
- Lion (29,999 Coins): You earn TZS 450,000 ($175).
✅ Pros:
- Easy to Start: You only need 1,000 followers to go Live.
- Instant Cash: If a “Sponsor” (Tajiri) enters your Live and drops a Lion, you make 400k in 10 seconds.
❌ Cons:
- No Work = No Pay: If you don’t go Live, you don’t eat.
- Withdrawal Hell: TikTok pays via PayPal. In Tanzania, withdrawing from PayPal requires a “Mchongo” (Middleman) or a linked US Card.
🥊 The Final Fight: 1 Million Views Comparison
| Feature | YouTube (Tanzania) | TikTok (Tanzania) |
| Revenue Source | AdSense (Ads) | Live Gifts (Donations) |
| Pay for 1M Views | TZS 1,500,000+ (Est.) | TZS 0 (Unless you go Live) |
| Payment Method | Bank Transfer (Easy) | PayPal (Hard) |
| Sustainability | High (Career) | Low (Daily Hustle) |
| Effort Required | High (Editing/Filming) | Low (Just talking on Live) |
🏆 Which one should you choose?
- Start with TikTok: It is easier to get 1,000 followers. Go Live, make noise, get those “Roses” to buy data.
- Move to YouTube: Once you have a name, tell your TikTok fans to watch your long videos on YouTube. That is where the real salary is.
External Tools to Check Earnings:
- SocialBlade (Check how much Diamond/Millard Ayo earns).
- TikTok Money Calculator (Estimate potential).
Are you Team YouTube or Team TikTok? Drop a comment! 👇