16 hours ago
Heh mntasekhaya! Meet Olwethu Ncapayi the multifaceted content creator taking social media by storm
He coined the phrase 'Heh mntasekhaya, ekse mntasekhaya' and by the time he knew it, he had a large following on TikTok with an audience that thoroughly enjoys his content.
Olwethu Ncapayi (22) who portrays the family dynamics of MakaSab'lela on social media hails from Grahamstown - Eastern Cape and is a Rhodes University student doing his final year in Journalism.
Olwethu is a name that has become synonymous with laughter and relatability in the South African social media spaces with his iconic characters through his hilarious skits - Gladys and Siyabulela a.k.a Sab'lela.
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As a content creator, he has built a massive following by portraying multiple roles with ease without the audience feeling a shift in his skits, his content often depicts issues that are relevant to social media users, from parenting woes to relationship struggles, often blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
In an interview with DRUM, Olwethu opens up about his content, his views on South African youth, and what inspired him to create characters that defy gender norms.
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For him content creation wasn't necessarily a part of his plans but now that he's into it and has grown fond of it he's optimistic of it growing into higher heights.
'Content creation isn't necessarily something I'd say I've always wanted to do, but something that I've always had passion for is surely storytelling. I discovered content creation in 2017, but then I didn't have much equipment and also, I was in high school, so I didn't have much time to actually focus on content creation more than I could now. When I started content, it was part of my portfolio as a journalism student, because for you to advance to the next level, you have to submit a portfolio. So, I started a page on social media, and I poured out my passion for storytelling and I discovered skits, which is what I do now.'
'And I developed a passion for that type of storytelling. When I started, it was mostly inspired by my mom, my dad, and all the main characters that I portrayed, they're inspired by actual people. And it was after I realised, when I watched the mainstream TV writers, a lot of my people, Xhosa's, aren't out there enough. So, I thought, why can't I use the knowledge that I have in media to help build my own platform? Then I used my platform to actually portray how it looks like growing up in a Xhosa household. Which started as a joke but now people are into it, and they love my content, and I've also become passionate about it,' he says.
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Olwethu says the key to creating content that resonates with the audience is authenticity and consistency.
'I let people into my own world, because with social media, people follow you or discover your content, consume a certain type of content from you, and like that specific content from you, now when you start to shift away from that content, they're going to want to control you, because they're accustomed to that content you've been producing. They're going to start getting entitled, not in a bad way, but they do get to a point where they're trying to control your content. But I don't let people control me, because I try to be versatile with my content and not stick to one thing but one thing that I always keep in mind is that you're not going to be able to create content that's relatable to everyone.'
He adds that there's many other creatives that do what he does but what sets him apart is sticking to his own experiences as he attributes this to his ability to tap into the experiences and emotions of his audience.
'As much as there are people that create my content, but it's not uniform to everyone. You must always make sure that your ideas are based on what your creativity is pushing you to do. People are more into consistency rather than conformity and if you're going to follow what they want now, you're going to start losing your identity.'
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Olwethu adds that the portrayal of the female character, Gladys who's Siyabulela's mom has led some people to speculate about his personal life, with many assumptions and rumors about his sexuality but he doesn't let it bother him.
'I've been subjected to that quite a lot and what they don't know is that I grew up with a lot of women, so I'm used to that now, many even in my upbringing thought I'd be gay, not that there's anything wrong with being gay but I'm not. Portraying a woman and wearing wigs doesn't make me gay at all and because I'm grounded and rooted in my manhood, with healthy masculinity I honestly don't let it bother me at all, and people will always have something to say so I don't let them get under my skin because I know my truth and the characters I portray on my skits are just personas and not my real personality,' he emphasised.
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This Youth month Olwethu shares his thoughts on the current state of South African youth particularly in light of the high unemployment rate.
'It's no secret that the youth of South Africa is facing a lot of challenges, from unemployment to lack of opportunities, however I also believe we have power to create our own opportunities especially in the digital space, there's a lot we can do online, and there's also AI nowadays to help you generate ideas around whatever you want to do. But the trick is to be creative and be inquisitive, don't waste your skill if you know you have a skill and you have a dream of achieving something, give it your all and invest in it. I think there's everything for everyone, people just need to find what works for them and go for it.'
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He added that as he looks to the future, he's excited about what's yet to come.
'I don't have anything big I'm working on at the moment, but I would like for my content to go far one day as people always tell me I'm talented, I'd love to own my own TV show one day with God willing, but for now I'm putting my attention on my studies and then skits when I have time.'
To the people that may feel stuck he says that they should have the courage to pursue their dreams.
'Don't let fear consume you, if you have a dream chase it and don't suffer from 'bazothini abantu syndrome' (what will people say) because that has never helped anyone, and make sure you do everything for you and not for anyone else.'
