Johannesburg - Social media star Elsa Majimbo had a little more than 400 followers on her Instagram page at the beginning of this year.
Fast forward to now and the internet sensation is now happily camping at 1.1 million followers. The last few months have been a life-changing whirlwind for the star who rose to fame with her quirky and funny videos that provided much needed comedic relief during the lockdown period for many South Africans.
Her videos were shared and trended far and wide, earning the Kenyan interviews with Glamour, GQ, a host of other local and continental shows as well as international platforms like Vogue and an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
She was most recently nominated for African Social Star alongside Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, Dimma Umeh, Karl Kugelmann, Sho Madjozi, Thuso Mbedu, Wian van den Berg and Lydia Forson, for the E! Entertainment People’s Choice Awards. It was announced yesterday that the 19-yearold had won.
“When I heard about the nomination, I was so excited. You just think how everyone in that category is just amazing. I thought I might not win, but being nominated was so cool. My head exploded when I won, I screamed. Technically we are all winners. I was so happy about that.”
Majimbo has gone on to collaborate with MAC cosmetics, Fenty by Rihanna and is still securing more deals. She describes this year as “amazing”.
“I went from doing my videos for my a small audience with 1 000 views and comments to all of a sudden this huge community where I’d be getting hundreds and thousands of views.
“It has grown so quickly I feel so blessed. It is more responsibility; I have to be careful with what I say and do, but it is such an amazing space to be in.”
Majimbo didn’t even know she was funny, she just thought she was funny for herself.
She first realised she was an internet sensation when she did her interview with Glamour back in April.
Majimbo said she was making plans for bigger projects, but she would continue with her videos, because they kept her happy and balanced.
She thanks her South African fans for their support.
The Star