What happened
Dentsu South Africa, in partnership with CSA, has opened applications for the 2026 Dentsu School of Influence. Dentsu's official programme page says the Youth Month initiative is designed for emerging creators who want to turn creativity into sustainable careers.
The programme is built around One Big Week, an in-person accelerator in Johannesburg's Sandton area. Dentsu says selected creators will work on live briefs, receive mentorship and gain commercial skills for long-term creative businesses.
Who can apply
Dentsu's application criteria say applicants should be South African citizens, be over 21, have between 1,500 and 10,000 followers on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, and be available for the in-person programme from 8 to 13 June 2026. The application deadline is Friday, 8 May 2026.
The Media Online reported on 22 April 2026 that the programme is entering its third year and has moved into a more accelerated format. The report names Roxana Ravjee, CEO of dentsu South Africa, and Davin Phillips, executive director at CSA, as programme voices framing the effort around commercial readiness rather than short-term visibility.
Why it matters
This is a useful signal for AfroStream because it targets creators in the middle of the pipeline: not complete beginners, but not yet large-platform celebrities. The follower range makes the story about practical creator infrastructure, not just celebrity creator news.
For South African creators, the programme also shows how agencies are trying to formalise creator careers with briefs, mentorship, audience development and business training. That is the gap many African creator-economy stories keep circling: creators can build attention on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but they still need structure to price work, work with brands and turn audience trust into durable income.
Sources checked on 27 April 2026: Dentsu School of Influence official page, https://www.dentsu.com/za/en/events/dentsu-school-of-influence; The Media Online, https://themediaonline.co.za/2026/04/side-hustle-to-powerhouse/