Staff
Every creator eventually faces the same question: how do you turn something you love doing into something that pays? For thousands of young Ugandans, the Premier League season has just handed them a practical way to find out.
On 26 August 2026, Coca-Cola Uganda launched a four-month Content Creation Challenge inviting football fans across the country to share how they experience English Premier League matchdays: the food on the table, the people they watch with, the rivalries, the celebrations and the Coca-Cola moments in between. It follows the brand’s two-day EPL Watch Party at Millennium Park in Kampala on 21 and 22 August, which drew fans for live football, music and entertainment.
The mechanics look a lot like the real creator economy. Fans buy a Coca-Cola, scan the on-pack QR code, create original content featuring their matchday, a meal and a Coke, and post it on Instagram or TikTok with the campaign hashtag, tagging Coca-Cola Uganda. Entries are ranked on a national leaderboard, and participants can earn monthly cash rewards based on validated views, with rewards ranging from UGX 50,000 to UGX 1,000,000, alongside Coca-Cola merchandise and campaign experiences.
Barry Otieno, Senior Marketing Manager for Coca-Cola in Uganda, describes the challenge as putting fans at the centre of the brand’s Premier League story. “This campaign celebrates what Ugandan fans already do every matchday and rewards them for telling that story in their own way,” he says.
Getting paid for what you already do
Many of the students taking part put the financial side plainly. Lynn describes the challenge as a way for young fans “to turn their everyday love for football and social media hustle into real cash and visibility.” Edgar Dylan of Kampala International University (KIU) lists his reasons without dressing them up: “Building a creative mind… Experience from working with a big brand… Hope for money.” He also names a lesson that goes well beyond one campaign: “the importance of team work.”
Because the challenge runs for four months and allows multiple entries, it rewards what working creators already know: consistency beats a single viral moment. Views reset each month, so every new month is a fresh chance to compete.
Why “validated” views matter
One detail in the rules deserves attention from anyone serious about building a creator career. All entries go through moderation, and winners are determined by validated leaderboard rankings. According to Coca-Cola, the validation process is designed to catch artificially inflated views, duplicate or stolen content and fraudulent engagement.
That’s a useful lesson in how brands increasingly think about creators. Bought views and recycled clips might inflate a number, but brands pay for real audiences and original work. Participants are also expected to keep content original, use licensed or royalty-free music, get permission from anyone featured, and avoid Premier League match footage, which are the same rights-and-permissions habits professional creators rely on.
Sulphur, a KIU student, frames it as a matter of standards. “Coca-Cola is a major brand, and I believe we should give the brand content that reflects that level,” he says. His benchmark for quality is simple: make something that “even if we came across it on our own FYP, would genuinely capture our attention and make us want to watch until the end.” He believes quality creates its own momentum: “the more creative and competitive the content becomes, the more motivated everyone including the organisers and potential supporters will be to recognise and reward outstanding creators.”
Skills, portfolio, network
For many participants, the cash is only part of the return. Brian treats every video as practice: “I’m improving my storytelling, editing, and confidence with every video I create.” Debbie Cox points to “content creation, communication, storytelling and digital media” as skills she is building. Monica, also from KIU, says the challenge is “giving me more knowledge about content creation and preparing me for more opportunities.”
And then there’s the network. Jade Billz Director, a cinematographer at Makerere University, has been shooting content for a team from KIU. The work, he says, “has allowed me to experience different environments, meet new people, and grow through every frame I capture.” His takeaway could be the unofficial motto of the creator economy: “sometimes, one opportunity can open doors, build connections, and bring your talent closer to places you once only dreamed of reaching.”
The challenge is open to Ugandan residents aged 18 and above. Further details on mechanics, reward tiers and eligibility are being shared through Coca-Cola Uganda’s official social media channels.
