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On Thursday, Rihanna's Fenty beauty business was officially launched in Kenya as part of her plans to expand in Africa.
However, as much as the news was received with much hype and enthusiasm from cosmetics lovers, the event left a bitter taste in many people's mouths.
Firstly, Kenyans criticized what they called 'recycling of influencers' based on the celebrities who attended the event. Secondly, Huddah didn't mince her words when she called out Kenyan influencers who are always quick to promote foreign products for close to nothing yet would either not agree to promote their counterparts products or even overcharge them.
Taking to her IG stories, Huddah wrote,
Good luck y'all with supporting abroad businesses for free. While your local Shea butter seller is asking to pay you 15,000 for a just 30 seconds reel or just a post you refuse lol! They are still winning tho. Keep on guys the sky is not the limit.
She says Africans have a long way to go because we have chosen to not promote local businesses even for a fee yet we always embrace foreign products for free.
The controversial socialite further revealed that she once asked one of the Kenyan beauty products influencers to promote her business and she was hit with a Sh200,000 rate card.
Upon doing her research, she found out that the same person was given free products when they had promoted another business, something that left her confused.
"Kenyan influencers influence s**t for free. Or for peanuts to look busy and booked. Living struggle mode live and then when Huddah DMs them coz I'm nice like that and I wanna pay. Ati Kshs 200,000 for a reel. For where?" ranted Huddah.
This also comes just a day after media personality and influencer Anita Nderu also called out Kenyan influencers, for undercutting each other and settling for less.
Taking to her socials, Nderu wrote,
"More often than not, the budget is there we are settling for les or nothing. The sooner we stop undercutting each other for pennies, and agreeing to be exploited so we look busy, the better our bottom line will be"
She went ahead to call out agencies for exploiting content creators and artists. She asked them to stop giving people free stuff because 'being given free product isn't the same as getting paid for your value.'
Anita says the issues should be addressed ASAP and that influencers need a union which can represent and fight for Kenyan content creators.
"Kenya needs a union that represents us and sets T's and C's that protect us, because it is WORK, to produce all the content you see and it costs money and time to show up looking like we do"
