As the world continues to grow and evolve, so does social media. 

Social media does not just provide a space where one can connect with their family and friends, but it has also become a place where one can earn money and making a living out of content creation. Influencers have changed the age of marketing and publicity, and they are at the forefront of a lot of brands and conversations. 

When the world came to a complete halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a rise in TikTok stars and content creators. The world had to stop functioning the way it normally did and people had to stay home, there wasn’t much to do but to consume content, and when social distancing became the new norm, a lot of individuals craved a human connection. Social media provided that. With more time on their hands, people were able to consume more media content and some even creating it. The rise of social media influencers can be attributed to the fact that they were relatable to a lot of people. 

Influencers were ordinary people who were going through the same thing as everybody and they shared their experiences online, this led to a lot of people consuming their content because they were able to relate to what they are seeing on their screens, and thus the rise of content creation and influencer culture. 

Brands have now taken to collaborate with more influencers and content creators as opposed to paying for ads on TV and billboards. This has changed the traditional way of marketing and publicity. Influencers have become the face of brands and are at the forefront of a lot of conversation and TikTok has become the heartbeat of innovation, connecting brands and content creators and influencers. 

Like the content creator Sabelo Hadebe, popularly known as Sabelo the Kreator, became well-known because of his Sunday vlogs where he practices self-care, cleans his home and resets for the week ahead. His popularity and vlogs on TikTok ad Twitter has led him to collaborating with hygiene brands such as Handy Andy, and more. 

Moreover, influencers and content creators have been at the forefront of conversations. TikTok star and content creator Nathan Molefe, whose hilariously relatable skits about the daily occurrences in the life of an average South African has gained him a huge number of followers. Besides creating skits and collaborating with brands, Nathan uses his platform to join in on important conversations such as mental health and most recently, he used his platform to enter the conversation about the youth being part of the change they want to see, inviting his audience to the Turn Up for Change event that promotes voter registrations, especially amongst the youth. 

The rise of influencers and content creators is a dynamic and transforming phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down. As influencers and creators continue to grow in numbers, diversity and influence, they continue to shape the future of media consumption, marketing, and more.