By Mulatedzi Nemushungwa
Photo: supplied
South Africa’s digital media landscape is entering a new phase, driven by a generation of creators who are using social media for far more than entertainment.
Across the country, content creators are finding new ways to communicate news, culture, travel, identity and everyday experiences to increasingly digital audiences.
The shift is particularly visible among younger South Africans, who are consuming information through platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube alongside traditional television, radio and newspapers.
For some creators, the smartphone has become a newsroom. For others, it is a stage, a travel diary or a platform for cultural expression.
What sets many of these emerging voices apart is their ability to turn personal interests into conversations that extend beyond their individual platforms.
Among the names gaining attention are Jaxx Amahle, Popi Sibiya, Bheki Ndamase and Sweet Guluva.
Their approaches are different, but their rise reflects a broader change in the way audiences discover personalities, information and culture.
JAXX AMAHLE BRINGS CURRENT AFFAIRS TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE
Politics and current affairs have traditionally been associated with newspapers, radio bulletins and television news programmes.
Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa, popularly known as Jaxx Amahle, is part of a generation presenting those subjects in a very different environment.
With a background in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Jaxx has developed a digital presence around explaining current affairs and complex public issues in a format designed for social-media audiences.
Her content has included discussions around national budget speeches, legal developments and socio-economic issues.
Rather than relying on the formal language often associated with political reporting, she uses a conversational approach to explain issues to her audience.
Her familiar “Howzit” introduction has also become part of her recognisable online identity.
Jaxx’s work reflects a growing challenge for traditional media: reaching audiences who may rarely sit through a conventional news bulletin but are willing to engage with current affairs when the information is presented in a format they understand.
Her growing profile illustrates how social media is increasingly becoming another space for civic conversations.
POPI SIBIYA TAKES AFRICAN TRAVEL BEYOND THE PICTURE-PERFECT POST
Travel content has become one of the most popular categories across social media.
But for Popi Sibiya, travelling across Africa has provided an opportunity to explore questions that go beyond tourism.
Through her solo travels, Sibiya documents her experiences across the continent while exploring culture, people and the realities of travelling through different African countries.
Her storytelling does not always present travel as an effortless experience.
She has used her platform to discuss challenges associated with mobility, geopolitical developments and xenophobia, while also promoting conversations about African unity and the importance of Africans experiencing the continent for themselves.
Her subscription-based platform, The Popi Show, further demonstrates the changing relationship between creators and their audiences.
Instead of relying entirely on traditional media organisations, creators such as Sibiya are developing independent platforms where they can control their storytelling and communicate directly with their audiences.
BHEKI NDAMASE BUILDS A COMMUNITY AROUND JOY
While some creators have built their platforms around news and social commentary, Bheki Ndamase, known online as @DearBheki, has found his space through entertainment.
His weekly #FriBheki dance videos have become a central part of his digital identity.
Ndamase’s journey is also representative of the growing number of professionals reconsidering the traditional corporate career path in favour of creative work.
His decision to pursue content creation full-time demonstrates the changing possibilities available to people who are able to build and maintain a dedicated online audience.
His content is centred largely on dance, positivity and community — a contrast to the conflict-driven material that often dominates social-media conversations.
The success of that approach highlights another reality of the creator economy: audiences do not only respond to controversy.
There is also an appetite for content that provides entertainment and a sense of connection.
SWEET GULUVA TAKES KASI CULTURE INTO THE MAINSTREAM
For Akhonamathemba Zwane, better known as Sweet Guluva, the journey into the public spotlight has been closely linked to reality television and popular culture.
Since gaining wider recognition, Sweet Guluva has continued to build a public profile through entertainment and cultural expression.
His image brings together elements of contemporary fashion, music, acting and Zulu cultural identity.
His connection to Pantsula culture has also contributed to conversations about the continued influence of township culture on South Africa’s mainstream entertainment industry.
But his influence is not limited to his public appearances.
Sweet Guluva has cultivated a strong relationship with his supporters, who refer to themselves as the “Sweet Gees.”
That relationship highlights an increasingly important part of modern celebrity culture.
The relationship between a public figure and an audience is no longer necessarily one-directional. Social-media platforms allow supporters to participate in conversations, create their own content and help extend a personality’s reach.
A CHANGING DEFINITION OF INFLUENCE
The emergence of these creators comes at a time when the traditional boundaries between journalism, entertainment, culture and personal branding are becoming less defined.
A creator can be a commentator in one video, an entertainer in another and a cultural storyteller in the next.
For audiences, particularly younger users, the distinction between traditional media and creator-led media can be less important than whether the content is relevant, understandable and engaging.
That presents both opportunities and challenges.
Creators have the ability to communicate directly with large audiences without the traditional gatekeepers of television, radio and print.
At the same time, the speed of social media means information can spread rapidly, making accuracy, context and responsible communication increasingly important.
For creators dealing with politics, current affairs and public-interest issues, credibility can therefore become just as important as popularity.
THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SOUTH AFRICAN DIGITAL MEDIA
The stories of Jaxx Amahle, Popi Sibiya, Bheki Ndamase and Sweet Guluva are different, but they form part of a much bigger story.
South Africa’s creator economy is developing alongside a changing media environment in which audiences increasingly decide who they listen to, follow and engage with.
These creators are not replacing traditional media.
Instead, they are occupying a new space alongside it.
They are using digital platforms to tell stories, explain issues, showcase culture, entertain audiences and build communities.
And perhaps that is the most significant change.
Influence is no longer confined to a television studio, newspaper newsroom or radio station.
It can begin with a phone, a distinctive voice and an audience willing to listen.
South Africa’s new digital voices are not simply following the conversation. They are becoming part of the conversation themselves.
