DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 27 -- BEFORE the TikTok views, before the mini-series and the auction crowds, Ester Luckson Mwalwisi was just a schoolgirl who made her classmates laugh during graduation plays.

Today, she is Mama Chanja comedian, creator, and businesswoman turning jokes into income.

For her, social media was never only about going viral. It became a stage, a shop, and a salary.

“I started believing in myself because of the comments from my fellow students when we used to perform at school graduations,” she says.

That early applause pushed her to try TikTok.

“I started on TikTok by taking part in different challenges, which helped grow my account and made more people know me,” she explains.

Challenges brou...