Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
influencerlatest news & developments

PODCAST: ‘I travelled to 30 countries before the age of 30’

Travel influencer Dineo Zonke Maduna talks about travelling on a budget and becoming an influencer

TikTok hits the sweetest spots

But some countries – such as Egypt – have cracked down on the social media app, which grew apace with the pandemic

Ponahalo Mojapelo’s decision to have multiple hustles was driven by needing the money as well as wanting to explore her talents. (Wanga Mtlokwa)

Creatives morph to new world

Jobs and careers are changing rapidly and digital content creators are adapting

A Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) supporter holds up a poster during an election campaign rally in Mokgweetsi Masisi’s, President of Botswana and leader of the BDP, home village in Moshupa.  (Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP)

Botswana’s media is in crisis

COMMENT We live in a divided political environment and amid radical economic disparities. But there is one thing on which virtually everyone in Botswana agrees: most of the news…

When she made her debut into the art world, Lunga Ntila did not feel welcome. (Delwyn Verasamy/ M&G)

Art in the era of influencers

A new cohort of artists is gaining likes on social media, irrespective of their skills. But is this art?

Liza Anokhina was 11 when people started recognising her in the street. Now a year older, she is one of Russia’s most popular child bloggers with 2.3-million followers on Instagram. (Instagram)

Video stars: Russian child bloggers score millions of ‘likes’

Liza Anokhina was 11 when people started recognising her in the street. Now a year older, she is one of Russia’s most popular child bloggers with 2.3 million followers on…

Head of content at Superbalist Kelly Fung says, “Ease [of] producing content has led to the misconception that the craft of journalism is anyone’s game”. (David Harrison)

Journalism in the era of influencers

The proliferation of sponsored content is streamlining ethics on social media platforms

Where and how do we find the space for the deep-thinking and collective thinking that our activism and our imaginations so desperately need? (David Harrison/M&G)

The age of the feminist influencer

One African feminist’s view on how social media clout chasing has stalled progressive politics

Graphic: John McCann

Social media influencers must #ad it

To protect the public, people should disclose when they are paid to promote products

Just like me: Musician Kanye West wants social media companies to stop users from knowing about the number of followers, likes and shares, saying the metric is ruining their mental health. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images)

Imagine life with no Likes

There’s money and perks to be enjoyed for those who have a reliable online following