She has been a Youtuber for more than five years. Creativity is what has always lived in her from as young as five years old. Over the years, she has pivoted into social media content curation and now stands a chance to win her first influencer award.
From filming her first YouTube video on her friend’s cellphone in her first year at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2016 and creating a brand out of her name, Snikiwe Mhlongo is now nominated for Influencer of the Year at the Top 16 Youth Owned Brand Awards.
“For me, this is one of the most validating things to happen to me in my career and it means all those years of hard work were not in vain. My loved ones in this case also include my supporters (my Snacks) and the amount of love I’ve received for this nomination from them has been incredible. So I know that this means as much to me as it does to them.
Having actress Brenda and artistic director Edmund Mhlongo as parents, Sni has been exposed to creativity from birth. In its own way, that was a blessing in disguise.
Read More | People can’t tell Brenda Mhlongo and Snikiwe Mhlongo apart – and we totally get why!
Although she actively started creating digital content in 2016 when she was 18, she says, “I have a creative background with the work my parents do as well as having been a creative child as well. I’m super lucky to have grown up in an environment that encouraged me to lean into that as opposed to being lead in the direction of traditional career paths.”
On this creative journey, Sni’s greatest achievement has been creating a “first of its kind in South Africa” collection with clothing brand Imprecca, which is what she believes dreams are made of.
Like any other career path, digital content creation has also brought challenges with it.
As fun as it may sound to be your own boss, Sni tells Drum that a lot of discipline is required.
“Without that (discipline), you’ve lost before you’ve even begun,” she says.
Another challenge for her has been in a position where she’s vulnerable to external opinions.
“One of the things I would change about my journey is how easily I let outside voices get to me when I first started. I suppose it’s what’s shaped my ability to withstand whatever shots are fired as I grow now, so it was a necessary process.”
A challenge that has recently been evident to the public is that “the job is your life, and your life is the job which opens you up to so much scrutiny. Influencers experience so much bullying which is unwarranted and getting to a place where you don’t let any of it get to you requires a lot of mental and emotional strength.”
In March, Sni posted a video of her now ex-boyfriend, actor Zamani Mbatha, in bed with another lady. The video made rounds beyond her platform, inviting too many eyes in her direction.
Finally speaking out about the incident in a recent YouTube vlog, she admits that posting the video was out of character but acknowledges that heartbreak had its way with her.
Read More | ‘The Lord defends me,’ says a grateful Mihlali Ndamase as she welcomes home ‘Mamba
Elaborating more to Drum, she says, “It’s been a long journey, and difficult lessons have been learnt.”
“I’ve been in the public eye for pretty much all my adulthood, but for a moment it felt like I didn’t know how to deal with so much more attention from not just my supporters but people on the internet who don’t care for me.”
After spending weeks in bed, Sni is finally up and running again. Even after all the hurt, the 25-year-old is not ready to give up on love.
“I’m a lover girl through and through! I will always, and forever have space for love. I grew up in a very loving family, and this was my first true heartbreak. It will take time to heal which I’m aware of, but I look forward to experiencing those feelings again.”
When it comes to her career, she has never lost any hope for the future because she knows that she will reap all the fruits of her hardwork.
