Social media can at times be toxic. But it can also be uplifting and inspirational.
Several South Africans are using TikTok as a platform for random acts of kindness. From surprise grocery shopping sprees and cash handouts to makeovers for the homeless and mentorship programmes for young budding entrepreneurs, social media philanthropists are thriving.
While most do it to increase their followers, which then attracts sponsors, these influencers say their passion is making people feel good.
Pretoria-born DJ and producer Karabo Mokgara, 38, popularly known as DJ Karri, posts daily on his socials — reaching more than 540,000 followers on TikTok.
He discovered the power of social media when his song Trigger went viral just after lockdown.
“I realised then that it can change your entire life in just a day or two. At the time I thought ‘I have influence and power and I need to use it to help other people achieve their dreams’,” he said this week.
“When I see people on the streets struggling, I just feel moved to help them.”
In spontaneous acts, which he posts, he has done much to help others, from helping a homeless man Dan Malungane pursue his dream to become a gospel singer to putting a nyaope addict through rehab and offering homeless people personal makeovers.
“But it’s not something I plan. It’s more a case of I see something and feel moved, so decide to make a change for someone who is struggling. Last year I went out and found 20 single mothers and bought Christmas outfits for each of their kids,” he said.
Albert van Wyk, 31, a businessman and author, who claims to have become a millionaire at 22, said his TikTok account has become a “passion project” to help others.
“At school I had to figure out a way to earn my own pocket money so I started selling toys in primary school. I cleaned rooms, washed cars and in high school started a small construction business doing paving, fencing and carports, and made really good money,” he said.
He bought his first house when he was 19, used it as business premises, and by the time he turned 22 it was fully paid off and he was a millionaire.
“I realised I had figured out a recipe or strategy for success and I wanted to share it with others,” he said.
He created “Maak my 'n Miljoener” (Make me a Millionaire) on TikTok — a project aimed at creating young entrepreneurs, offering an eight-month intense mentorship project to the winner every year.
The 2022 winner was teenager Matthew Blaauw who started with R50 and sold sweets and chips in grade 8. Within a year he was making R27,000 and, now in matric, he is selling cooked chicken and fast food, and claims to be making up to R200,000 a month.
The 2023 mentorship winner was high school pupil Shaniqua Steenkamp who sells slime to primary schoolchildren. Her monthly turnover this year reportedly exceeds R150,000.
Van Wyk films the “Maak My n Miljoener” mentorship process and it’s now broadcast on DStv’s VIA channel.
Filmmaker and life coach BI Phakathi hands out money to people in TikTok videos that have won him 2.9-million followers. He approaches hawkers and people who appear to have very little and asks them for help or money.
In some cases, where they give him whatever change they have, or allow him to take his purchase for free, he strikes up a conversation. After discovering their need, he hands them a wad of cash.
In one video, after establishing that a hawker had no money for taxi fare, he handed her a pile of R200 notes and she burst into joyful song.
When I see people on the streets struggling, I just feel moved to help them
— DJ Karri, who has 540,000 TikTok followers
For South Africa’s most popular TikTok philanthropist Keegan Gordon — better known as BigmanKG — made a spontaneous decision a few months ago to approach a mother pushing her daughter in a trolley with an offer to buy her a load of groceries, which “triggered a switch in my brain”.
His video of the interaction got 1.2-million views on TikTok and now the 23-year-old influencer is living his dream of making a living out of giving things away.
He spends his days being filmed buying groceries, handing out piles of cash and performing random acts of kindness for complete strangers — and some of his randomly selected followers.
“It’s something that just took off from about April, and it’s getting bigger and bigger. It’s making money that I am channelling back into the brand, and it’s growing fast,” he said.
Gordon became a full-time influencer in 2018, creating videos that attracted sponsors and brand deals.
“But the day I decided to film myself buying groceries things just fell into place. I was amazed at the impact — people just loved it and more started following me. Lots said they felt inspired and were going to go out and do the same thing.”
In another popular post he approaches a little boy shopping with his mom, hands the child a white board and tells him: “I will buy you whatever you can draw in seven seconds”. The boy grabs the marker and draws a sneaker with tick, as he proclaims “Nike shoes”.
Gordon then holds out a pile of cash and gives the child a choice: “I can take you and buy you the shoes now, or I can give your mommy R2,000. Which would you prefer?”
The boy takes the money and hands it to his mother, who says she would prefer it if he gave the money to somebody else. Gordon takes the child's hand and they head out into the street where the boy finds a man sitting on the pavement and hands the surprised, but delighted stranger the money.
“That was a great thing you did there, bro. That was so kind. Now let’s take you to get those shoes anyway,” Gordon tells the boy.
Clips like these have attracted his huge following as well as scores of sponsors and big-name brands who want in on his action.
“I’m lucky to work with some big brands who love what I do. Coca-Cola, Checkers Sixty60, Spar, Spot Money — there’s a whole bunch of them. Brands have started sending me proposals and it’s all just building up,” he said.
So what’s the big end game? For BigmanKG it is to become as big as US social media icon MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, 26, who is known for his elaborate challenges and huge giveaways.
MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTuber in the world and third-most followed creator on TikTok. His estimated net worth is $500m.
Described by The New York Times as “the internet’s fairy godmother”, he has given away millions of dollars in homes, cars, cash and other things, including an island.
“The thing is, people like seeing good things and feeling good. It's why they want to become part of it or start doing it themselves, and that’s magic,” Gordon said.
Tech expert Arthur Goldstuck said the high-profile gestures of social influencers were more about “self-aggrandisement” than about philanthropy. “But it still has a positive impact. It is a useful yardstick for evaluating the true intent of the TikTok philanthropist.”
“In the Jewish tradition, the highest form of charity is when you give anonymously and the recipient receives it anonymously. At the bottom of the scale, the giver is highly visible, as is the recipient.”
Bronwyn Wilkinson, futurist, economist and trends analyst from Flux Trends, said South African TikTok philanthropists were “following the lead of MrBeast”.
“Is charity really charity if it’s sponsored or if you make a profit off it? I’d say no. But regardless of motives, if the beneficiaries are happy that’s good. Yet again, exploiting the poor to grow your own fame and fortune is an occupational hazard and terrible temptation of our age of 'social credit' where any publicity, good, bad or ambiguous, is fungible for income.”
