The North Coast has its own ‘Evita Bezuidenhout’ in the rising comedic star of ‘MakaThangithini’, played by former Kranskop resident Simthande Myeza.
With ‘her’ face smeared with red clay (ibomvu) and dressed in traditional Zulu makoti attire Myeza has become a local sensation, amassing 500 000 followers across his social media platforms.
The 27-year-old comedian says he is a natural introvert, transforming into the loud and outspoken female character of MakaThangithini for his video skits.
His hilarious, educational content tackles pressing South African issues in the context of rural KZN.
“I create the content in honour of the women who raised me. What I portray, and the characters I bring out, are lived experiences of women on whose shoulders I stand,” he said.
The actor rose to fame during lockdown while working as a radio personality at Kanskop’s Radio Khwezi. To date he has more than 500 000 followers across his social media platforms.
“I spent seven years of my life in Kanskop, so my content is centred around that area.”
He has grown his brand and went from producing alone to having a community of actors who now help him bring the stories to life.
Myeza said the most difficult part of content creation is not knowing whether the material will resonate with the audience.
“The content is either well received or offensive, and when you put it out there you have no idea how it will turn out. But we have attracted loyal audiences who continue to support us through it all.”
When not addressing what he calls the “Umjolo (relationship) pandemic”, he educates people about hot topics, from albinism and crime, nothing is taboo.
He has received the YouTube award for surpassing 100k subscribers on the platform, cementing him as a distinguished content creator.
Myeza remains in awe of how a lazy, solo video he produced in 2021 unlocked so many possibilities for his career.
“I get invited to functions and people celebrate me and the content I create. It is such a humbling experience. I could do so much more if I had enough resources because that is the biggest challenge that limits how far I can go as a content creator.”
Myeza now lives in Durban where he continues to pursue his big break in comedy.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
