There is nothing like a newish social media platform to make you feel like a died-in-the- wool Luddite.
TikTok is that platform for me. The idea of joining it and actually posting something on that stream of constant entertainment blossoming forth from kitchens and lounges all across the world, just seems a content-creating step too far.
The interweb is littered with my semi-abandoned social media profiles with out-of-date pictures and ancient opinions: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Chat Roulette. I am kidding about the Chat Roulette (that was purely for the purposes of investigative journalism and, yes, people were badly behaved on there).
But goodness knows TikTok is huge and growing exponentially so I said I would take one of its most successful and popular denizens for lunch. Because if you can’t join 'em you may as well feed them.
I take @hallebberry — Halle Robinson (that is her TikTok handle) or Galagatseng Tshungu -IRL (The Halle was to make her name palatable for people who could not pronounce it at school) to KōL Izakhaya in Hyde Park Corner, which seems like the right alignment of contemporary popularity and the new.
The high-end Japanese restaurant is the hot spot in Joburg right now if you are looking for high-octane social engagement and outrageously delicious and authentic Japanese fare.
You are basically nowhere unless you are seen in the green marble accented, sleek-design hub, preening in front of the vertical garden or spritzing yourself with the luxurious perfumes on offer in the most commented on bathrooms in town — a locus for many a coveted mirror selfie. I won’t speculate on what necessitates a private shower facility — this is the Japanese way — so what do I know?
Halle Robinson has 2.6-million followers on TikTok, which made her one of TikTok’s Rising Voices last year. This year, I think she has risen.
To put these numbers into perspective Bonang Matheba has 4.7-million followers on Instagram, and she has been toiling away in the popularity trenches for the “socials” time equivalent of an aeon.
Halle has hit these numbers in less than two years. It’s the kind of organic growth that has brands falling all across themselves to get a bit of the Galagatseng magic. For example, when she arrives she is sporting a set of Nungu diamond bespoke jewels as part of the Nescafé Crafted Beyond Compare campaign. The coffee-coloured diamonds offset a dramatic black gown ensemble that Halle has chosen for our lunch. Now I feel distinctly underdressed as well as slow on the social media uptake.
How did this all happen, I ask. She explains that she returned from the US where she had gone after school to au pair for a family in Washington with the aim of applying to college and surviving by waitressing and bartending.
I didn’t think I could be a comedian. I’m an artist, I paint portraits, so I never thought I could be on TikTok and draw 2.6-million people in less that two years. It’s crazy, it’s phenomenal, I love it
When it didn’t work out and financing the tertiary tuition became a problem, she came home and regrouped. The American dream was not all it was cracked up to be.
Then Covid struck and with it inspiration. She began making content for TikTok and before she knew it her posts were going viral. By viral I mean the kind of posts that get 17.9-million views, 100k shares and 55,000 comments.
My brain melts a little when I contemplate the size of that audience. What, you might wonder, are the #dreamberries (her term for her following) watching? They are watching Halle who is the poster girl for the Jennifer Aniston girl-next-door vibes that work really well on TikTok. They come for Halle in various character iterations, Mama Halle, Baby Halle, a Gogo, a dad and a rolling cast of secondary characters who all clearly resonate with her audience.
The skits are domestic comedy that rings true and she is clearly brilliant at cutting through the noise and setting up the kind of fast-paced and fleeting giggles that flow through this platform.
“I said what am I going to do during this lockdown? So I had my TikToking and I am in my second year, studying business management. So I can finally pay for school through TikTok. I started by dancing but people were laughing, which was not the reaction I am trying to get. But I just kept going. I said I am not giving up because I’m not that kind of person. One day I did a mom-related meme and it went viral. So from then on I started making me vs mum memes and my most viral video has something like 29-million views in less than a year.”
Was this always on the cards? “I didn’t think I could be a comedian. I’m an artist, I paint portraits, so I never thought I could be on TikTok and draw 2.6-million people in less that two years. It’s crazy, it’s phenomenal, I love it.”
But let me tell you, if you are contemplating this kind of fame on TikTok — it is hard work. Halle is making content 24/7. She posts anything from five to 20 pieces of original content every day, new skits, stories, etc. And she answers practically everyone who writes to her. My head is spinning. She keeps notebooks all across the house where she writes down scenarios and skits. “I have six, seven characters with all different accents, all different wigs, all different looks.”
“But I try to keep the content diverse. I don’t just dance, I do everything to entertain people to make sure that my page is a one-stop street. I’m all about making people feel good, feel happy and empowering them, making them know they can do anything and be whoever they want.
“You know a video goes viral overnight and it changes your destiny, it changes your whole dream, your career. So I am very excited, so I kept the consistency and kept working hard, delivering the kind of content that people enjoyed.
“At first it wasn't something that I necessarily enjoyed. I like dancing, I like art, I like fitness, but this time round, I was like, people came here for comedy, so let me do that. I was happy to do that because now it’s another skill set that I have developed. I learnt to act, I am my own producer, my own director, I write my own script.”
At first her family doubted that this was a real job, “My parents could not understand it. At first it was hard, you're not getting any money, but it's all about consistency. If you really love what you do, then it will be the most rewarding thing. I am able to live, I am able to pay for school, I work with the best brands in SA, it’s the most beautiful recognition.”
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