Design Yangu FAQ: Everything Kenyan Designers Asked Before Joining
Every question Kenyan designers asked before joining Design Yangu — answered honestly. Payment, file formats, earnings, products, timelines. Read this first.
You've seen the posts. You've heard people talking about it. Maybe a friend sent you the link or you spotted it on KOT and thought — this could work for me. But before you upload anything, you have questions. Real ones. We've been collecting every question Kenyan designers have asked us since we announced Design Yangu. This is that document. No marketing spin — just straight answers.
What exactly is Design Yangu? It's Kenya's print-on-demand marketplace. You upload your original artwork, we print it on products — t-shirts, hoodies, caps, tote bags, mugs, phone cases, and more — and when someone buys, you earn. You never touch inventory. You never deal with a printer. You never chase payment. Your job: create the art. Our job: everything else.
What makes this different from international platforms? Redbubble, Merch by Amazon, Society6 are all great platforms, but built for Western creators. The problems for Kenyan designers: they pay in USD (you lose 15-20% on conversion), payouts take 30-60 days, and you need a PayPal or Payoneer account. Design Yangu is built for Kenya: M-Pesa payment that 30 million Kenyans trust, direct M-Pesa payout, local printing and delivery, and Kenyan buyers.
How much money can I actually make? When you list a product, you set a price above the base cost. The difference is your margin. Example: a plain t-shirt with your design has a base cost of around KES 800. You set the selling price at KES 1,400. You earn KES 600 every time that shirt sells. If your design sells 50 times, you've made KES 30,000 from one design you made once.
When do I get paid? M-Pesa, directly to your number. Once an order is confirmed and completed, your earnings are processed and sent straight to your M-Pesa wallet. No waiting months. No minimum withdrawal thresholds. Your phone number is your bank account on Design Yangu.
What file formats do I need? PNG with transparent background at 300 DPI minimum is best. SVG vector format is excellent. JPEG works if the resolution is good. Phone screenshots don't have enough resolution for quality printing. Simple rule: if your design looks crisp at 3000 x 3000 pixels, you're good.
Do I need to be a 'professional designer'? No. The only requirement is that your artwork is original. Some of the most successful shops belong to illustrators who learned on YouTube and typographers who started making church posters. Kenya has some of the most talented self-taught creatives on the continent.
Is this really free? What's the catch? Free to sign up. Free to upload. Free to list products. We make money when you make money — by including our base printing and fulfilment costs in the product pricing. There are no hidden monthly fees, no listing fees, and no charges for designs that don't sell. If your design never sells, it costs you nothing.