Zara, a young woman in her 20s with Somali roots, became obsessed with TikTok’s live battle feature, where influencers engage in verbal sparring and solicit money from viewers to win the game. While Zara initially found the platform exciting, she spent thousands of dollars, including her university fees, on these TikTok battles.
The Somali TikTok battles, known as the Big Tribal Game, are unique because the influencers represent different Somali clans. These events, often accompanied by rap music praising the virtues of their clan, attract tens of thousands of viewers. The battles revolve around gaining virtual gifts from the audience, with the winner being the influencer who receives the most gifts. The loser then admits their clan’s inferiority for the night.
Zara explains that she became involved to defend her clan’s pride. However, her participation spiraled into an addiction, spending more than $7,000, and she questions why she gave away so much money for little to no appreciation from the influencers.
As Zara got deeper into the world of TikTok battles, she encountered a darker side. She was threatened by a US-based influencer, Hussein Kibray, who manipulated images of her and other women and threatened to share them online. Despite reporting the issue to TikTok, Zara felt the platform did not act swiftly enough, although after the BBC contacted TikTok, Kibray’s accounts were banned for violating platform policies.
The Big Tribal Game has raised concerns beyond the virtual world, with critics warning that it perpetuates inter-clan divisions and toxic online environments. The influencers often reference Somalia’s civil war and engage in inflammatory rhetoric. Some worry that the increasing popularity of these battles, especially among the Somali diaspora, is contributing to the tensions they sought to escape.
While the game generates significant engagement, experts like Crystal Abidin from Curtin University explain that the wealth shown by influencers is often an illusion, with platforms taking cuts and other hidden costs involved.
Zara’s story highlights a growing issue within the Somali TikTok community, where large sums of money are spent in a cycle of virtual gifting, but the broader implications of such practices on both individuals and communities remain a point of concern.