‘Mr. Rib cracker’ Michael Sebamba works a daytime job at Fenon Events but he may be making a lot more as a content creator, thanks to his newly discovered TikTok fame.
For you ardent TikTokers, the name Mickeyseems2funny may not sound alien. Born Michael Sebamba, Michael joined TikTok only three months ago but has now become one of the most trending TikTokers in the region.
The 25-year-old says it all started when he saw his friends use TikTok quite often as opposed to Facebook, Twitter or even WhatsApp. When he checked on his friend’s TikTok, there were many users sharing different videos and since he gave trying out some comedy a thought and therefore decided to download the app and sign up on the platform.
On First Attempt At Comedy:
While at Fenon where he works as a LED Screens Operator, Sebamba has always made his colleagues laugh, including his boss Steve Jean Sserunkuma, whom he refers to as his ‘Godfather’.
“At office, there were many occasions where artistes who came to meet Steve Jean told me how funny I was and that I should consider joining comedy,” Sebamba recalls.
Mikey points out A Pass, Karole Kasita and Levixone as standouts among the celebs who offered a pat on the back hence gassing him up with confidence to start out although the consideration sunk in, he did not want to encroach on already established comedians’ space, so he went online.
Sebamba believes he is not just a comedian but an online content creator and names Nigerian comedians: Nasty Blaq, Mr. Funny, and Sydney Talker as key inspirations from whom he derives his inspiration; for the fact that they all are running their careers online/ social media.
Humble Beginnings:
Mikeyseems2funny the TikToker started with one clip that got him 10,000 views even when he did not have followers. As of today, he has over 1.4 million total likes and still counting.
His second video of a woman asking him for an iPhone 11 got him 500,000 views and generated up to 1.1 million views. Three months down the road, Sebamba says all the videos he uploads on TikTok garner from 70,000 and above views.
Monetizing the Craft:
The same videos that he posts on his TikTok are also uploaded on YouTube and Facebook and luckily enough, YouTube pays and TikTok indirectly pays.
“My YouTube has 800,000 views and I keep loading content which earns me at least $4,000 (about Shs15m) in a good month. For TikTok, Sebamba says it only pays in other countries but not in Uganda and how he gets paid is through endorsements.
“I recently got Shs2.5 million to act in a comedy skit about Mo Furniture. All I did was act and endorse how they make good furniture and that was it,” Sebamba says. He also says he went into a long-term working relationship with Job Links Consultants, a company that takes Ugandans abroad for jobs – the contract is worth millions.
Sebamba says unlike other people who take TikTok for social fun, he uses it to entertain people and broaden his career into comedy from events management.
“TikTok has made me grow into an active social media user on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” he says.
To this, Mickey adds that he uses the camera crew at Fenon Events to capture his content but when it comes to approving content to upload on social media, he is a one-man army.
“Once my content is ready, I share it with a friend or just my girlfriend and regardless of what they say, I always go on and upload,” Sebamba explains, adding, “the day comedian Madrat told me not to stop because my content was very good and funny, I was happy and felt inspired to go on with my work because a comedian who has stayed long in the field has approved my content”.
Sebamba says one thing he believes in when it comes to the creative business, one has to enjoy their time when it still lasts.
“If one content creator doing the same thing as mine ever comes and outshines me, it will be their time and my time will be done so I will always blame myself if I don’t use my time well.”
Achievements:
Mikey believes that money is not everything but his biggest achievement has been meeting influential people who have contacted him for business and others for advice. He says he has made many real friends because of the exposure he got through online content creation. Another thing he believes is a milestone is the production studio that he is setting up at his home where he will be doing all his online content.
The 25-year-old notes that one his biggest challenges is having to strike a balance as an online content creator and his work at Fenon Events.
“I get to a point where I have to think so much for my content and at work, I am always busy from the beginning to the end”, says Sebamba.
Written with context from Sqoop
