How I Use Silence to Connect with the World, Olakliz

Content creator Olamide Adeniran, known as Olakliz on TikTok, shared why he uses a "silent comedy style". He believes this method helps him reach a global audience without language barriers.

In an interview with Saturday Beats, Olakliz, who has over one million followers on TikTok, talked about how he noticed that non-verbal content can cross cultural lines easily.

He explained, “I used to make different types of videos before I changed my style. When I looked at Khaby Lame’s videos, I saw that he doesn’t use any spoken language, yet people from all over the world know him and follow his work. That is why I chose to be silent. Facial expressions don’t need translation, so anyone watching, whether in Africa, Europe or anywhere else, can understand the reactions instantly without a language barrier.”

Challenges of Silent Content

Olakliz also discussed the challenges of creating silent videos. He mentioned that timing and precision are key to making these videos effective.

“The biggest challenge is that without words, the timing has to be exact to make sense. If a reaction is off by even a second, the video doesn’t work. To overcome this, I spend a lot of time editing and studying global video trends to make sure the stitch fits perfectly with the original video,” he stated.

He urged social media platforms to improve monetisation for African creators. He said the current rules limit their chances to earn money.

“Global platforms need to remove the location restrictions on their platform funds so talent in Africa can earn directly from their views just like people overseas. They also need to partner with local payment networks to make processing seamless. It shouldn’t be about just getting brand deals; the systems themselves need to open up these funds globally,” he said.