Social media sensations Robot Boii, Owami Mafokate, Coachella Randy and Sni Mhlongo | Picture: Instagram
Every few decades a new medium either emerges or rises to the top of the pack when it comes to how people prefer to entertain themselves, and with it comes a new cohort of stars.
We currently live in the era of the social media sensation and while most people love how democratic social media is in its ability to make anyone a star, we sometimes get social media sensations who seem to have inherited their famous parents’ skills.
Today, we take a look at the South African social media sensations with famous parents.
Father: Mzwakhe Mbuli
First up is Robot Boii. Named after his father, Mzwakhe Mbuli junior is a comedian, musician and dancer who built his following online. He then leveraged his popularity with young, savvy crowds and turned it into a comfortable career holding down mainstream gigs.
To date, one of his biggest jobs involved hosting the Lockdown House Party at a time when people had to give up socialising but still hungered for the feeling that comes with “groove.”
While some believe in the old adage “jack of all trades, master of none,” Robot Boii has essentially put paid to that idea by mastering a variety of skills. Among them, rapping, acting, dancing, being a comedian, drumming, MCing live events, television presenting, editing and photograpy.
Mother: Brenda Mhlongo
It is no secret that social media users love a pretty girl who can dress well, and Snikiwe Mhlongo is both of those things.
She is also a UCT alumnus and the daughter of actress Brenda Mhlongo.
Sni has built herself an impressive following online with 128,000 YouTube subscribers at the time of writing, over 30,000 fans on TikTok, and close to 300,000 followers on Instagram.
Mother: Vinolia Mashego
Currently booked and busy as a dancer and entertainer, Oratile Masedi (popularly known as Coachella Randy) is the child of legendary Jam Alley presenter Vinolia Mashego (aka V-Mash).
Often assumed to be a comedian, Coachella Randy shot to fame for their TikTok videos which have amassed them close to 200,000 followers and over 1.9 million likes. They, therefore, prefer to be referred to as all-around entertainer.
Last year, they won their first award at the annual Feather Awards and have been building on that momentum at neck-breaking speed.
Father: Arthur Mafokate
With a father like Arthuer Mafokate, Owami Melodee Mafokate had the world at her feet.
She has currently chosen to build her career as a DJ and has over 436,000 followers on Instagram.
She is also a dancer and gets hundreds of thousands of views on the videos she posts online.
Father: Lucas Radebe
Popularly known by his TikTok handle primo9teen, Ofentse ‘Primo’ Baloyi currently works as a content creator, actor and occasional model.
Sunday World reports that the social media sensation completed high school in 2011 and simultaneously pursued an economics degree and a soccer career.
According to the publication, he started training with PSL teams Mpumalanga Black Aces and Bid Wits but he never finished his degree. He officially stopped playing soccer in 2018, went back to school and began working as a bookkeeper for a brief period.
During lockdown, however, he turned to social media like many other people around the world. He started on YouTube and later found his way to TikTok where his comedy career took off.
On Father’s Day this year, he surprised most of his followers when he wished his father a happy Father’s Day and Lucas Radebe’s face popped up in his video.
While this is not the first time Ofentse has made content with his father or referred to him online, it is one of their most viral interactions.
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