A high-level meeting between the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), Meta, and the United Nations Development Programme has signaled a shift in Malawi’s digital economy—from if creators will get paid to how they will get paid. The meeting, facilitated by MACRA, marked the first formal engagement between Malawian creators and Meta’s leadership, led by Thabo Makenete, Head of Public Policy for Southern Africa. Initially focused on payout timelines, the discussions evolved into a deeper look at global creator standards. “My expectation was to find out when we get paid, but the meeting taught us how to get paid,” said Kelvin Gumbi, highlighting a shift toward understanding the broader creator economy. However, key barriers remain. These include low advertising demand, a relatively small and less engaged user base, and limited integration of local payment systems such as Airtel Money and Mpamba. Without these, monetization tools remain difficult to implement. Kenya’s success with M-Pesa was cited as a model. Government reaffirmed its commitment to youth empowerment through digitalisation, with plans to support monetization frameworks. Meta, meanwhile, pledged collaboration with MACRA on payment systems, policy alignment, and creator education. Officials stressed that readiness must come from both sides. Creators were urged to focus on original, consistent, and “brand-safe” content. As Gumbi noted, those already prepared will benefit most when monetization is rolled out. MACRA and Meta have committed to ongoing engagement, with calls for creators to organise and uphold standards. While progress is underway, expanding ad demand, user growth, and payment integration will be critical to unlocking monetization in Malawi.