Youth Month in South Africa is a time to reflect on the history of this country’s youth. It is about looking at the past. But it’s also an opportune time to look to the future that young people are creating. In honour of the plethora of local talent, The Daily Vox team have compiled a list of young South African creatives who are making a name for themselves.
Mbali Christina M
With her 15700 Instagram followers and counting, Mbali is a talented make-up artist and beauty influencer whose star is only just beginning to shine. She specialises in editorial makeup that is highly conceptual and has even dubbed herself the ‘editorial angel.’ Editorial makeup is a style not usually worn on an everyday basis but it is used for runways and fashion magazines. It is a more interpretive and bold form of makeup. Some of her content includes recreating famous fashion magazine covers, giving easy-to-follow tutorials and creating looks to commemorate Pride Month. She is also very active on TikTok where her profile has 29 400 followers, with her most viral videos getting more than 1,4 million views.
You can follow Mbali’s Instagram here and her TikTok here.
Lelowhatsgood
Lelo is a creative multi-hyphenate making waves in many spheres. He is a content creator and writer with bylines that include The New York Times and Afropunk. He is also a one of the founders of VogueNights Jozi – Johannesburg’s flagship voguing event. Lelo has dedicated himself to creating safe spaces for queer people and curating high-quality cultural experiences for them. On top of this, he is a talented DJ that has performed for Boiler Room – a music broadcasting platform that hosts performances globally – which you can watch here.
You can find Lelo’s Instagram here.
Rudy Chalmers
Rudy Chalmers is a talented musician whose music is infused with elements of jazz, hip-hop and funk. His debut EP titled Fears and Fantasies was released last year and is a promising look into Rudy’s versatility as an artist. Standout songs include On My Way and Little Birdie, both of which were released as singles and well-received. With skillful lyrics and a soulful voice, Chalmers will definitely be a name to remember in the music industry in the years to come.
You can follow Rudy’s Instagram here and listen to his music here.
Khanyisa Jaceni
Your first encounter with Jaceni might be on TikTok, where she has 1.5 million followers and her viral videos often amass millions of views. She makes funny videos ranting about her life and infusing gospel into popular songs. But, the comedic ability that she displays in her videos are not her only talent. She is also a rising amapiano artist and has already featured on songs with amapiano legends like Mr JazziQ, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa. Jaceni has already made such a mark on social media and it is clear that she is someone to watch in the music industry too.
You can follow Khanyisa’s TikTok here and find her music here.
Foyin Og
Foyin is a young makeup artist and lifestyle influencer that is making her mark on social media. She is credited with starting the #7days7faces makeup challenge where her followers are encouraged to create 7 different makeup looks for 7 days. It’s a popular challenge that grows each year that helps to foster the vibrant community of South African makeup artists. She also has a YouTube channel where she posts makeup and hair tutorials as well as lifestyle vlogs.
READ MORE:
FoyinOg on using a makeup challenge to create a digital safe space
You can follow Foyin’s Instagram here and find her YouTube channel here.
