Thembe Mahlaba, one third of Pap Culture, recounts how the channel got into its groove.
On a Saturday morning this winter, while house-sitting and running on two hours’ sleep, Thembe Mahlaba, now based in Jo’burg, finds out she’s won a daytime Emmy award. She is one of the three women behind local YouTube channel Mahlaba and Mda, who both studied at the University of Cape Town , met through a mutual friend in the city.
It was around this time that Masango, a videographer and Mahlaba’s high-school friend moved from completing her studies at Rhodes University, eRhini to work in Cape Town. When they hung out, together with Mda, Mahlaba shared the idea with Masango who was excited to jump on board. Serendipity clinched the deal.Pap Culture, which turned six this year, is a deep dive into youth culture — an interrogation, an exploration, a reflection.
By the time Pap Culture had 10 subscribers, its creators couldn’t believe it. By 100 they knew they were on to something. Realising that folk were beginning to catch on, and as their own schedules became tighter, they became more intentional with their content creation. “That’s why I want to do my master’s, because now I know what I want. I know who I am. I know what I feel strongly and passionately about,” she says. “I have a better grip on who uThembekile is and I want to create work from this place.”The game-changing moments
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