On this World Book Day, TikTok celebrates the power of community and how #BookTok is bringing readers together.
This symbolic day in world literature, marked on April 23, pays tribute to books and authors, encouraging everyone to access books – the oldest and most beautiful invention for sharing ideas beyond the boundaries of humanity, space, and time.
What They’re Saying
According to Boniswa Sidwaba, Head of Content Programming, Sub-Saharan Africa, “There is a growing community of book lovers on TikTok in Africa, with creators sharing book reviews, recommendations, and discussions under the #BookTok hashtag. In countries such as South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, there is a larger community of book lovers creating content under the #BookTok hashtag. Book-related content on TikTok in Africa is diverse, with creators sharing content in different languages, covering a wide range of genres and topics, and sharing their unique perspectives on reading and books.”
As the trend of book-related content on TikTok in Africa continues to grow, there is a promising future for #BookTok and book-related content in Africa. Boniswa Sidwaba adds, “The engagement with book-related content on TikTok in Africa is steadily growing, with users liking, commenting, and sharing their favourite videos. This has encouraged more creators to produce book-related content and engage with the growing community of book lovers on the platform. African book influencers and authors have also collaborated with TikTok creators to promote their work and reach new audiences.”
By The Numbers
Over the past six months, the top three BookTok hashtags in Sub-Saharan Africa were #Read, which had 1,628,940 video views.
#Booksyoushouldread, which had 725,920 views; and #Bookstoread, which had 186,847 views.
These hashtags demonstrate the enthusiasm and interest of African TikTok users in discovering new books and sharing their reading experiences with others.
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