It’s not a walk in the park to be a successful Youtuber, if success means growing a hefty subscriber base and followership. But these Youtubers prove that Kenya is not only a thriving tech hub in Africa but that Kenyans are quite entertaining. And inventive. And entrepreneurial. And the list goes on. We have make up artists, natural hair enthusiasts, students, media professionals and some people who tread career lines skillfully. Here we go:
1. I Wan Dat Cake
205 subscribers | 4,560 views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6brSxCaGOQQ
A self professed dork. I wan dat cake is the Youtube name for Shamik Mehta. Shamik started experimenting with video at the age of 18. He’s a big fan of Dan Howell who he says never fails to make him laugh. He currently has 13 videos on his channel, all quite entertaining and he says his goal is always to be amusing, audacious and brazen with his videos. If you don’t mind a little bit of cussing and weird moments of self chastisement, you should totally check out his reaction video to Pentatonix’s Can’t Sleep Love.
2. Levis Ryan
263 subscribers | 4,220 views
This is a great example of someone who’s obviously having fun while shooting his videos. Levis Ryan’s page is a portal to hilarious madness. His Youtube videos are as diverse as it gets, ranging from lifestyle vlogs to comedy skits to inspiration films. He’s even teamed up with another Youtuber on this list – I wan dat cake.
Levis is in his 20s, a huge Nikki Minaj fan and sports the best set of teeth I’ve seen on any Youtuber. Levis Ryan works for KenyaBuzz, the leading provider of event and lifestyle information in Kenya.
His 14 Socially Awkward moments will leave you nodding, smiling and cringing. I bursted up in laughter at awkward moment number 3 – watching a movie with your parents and then a sex scene comes up….
3. Elodie Zone
4,156 subscribers | 158,548 views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh22AqohVYw
Elodie talks about relationships, personal idiosyncrasies and the occasional commentary on pop culture. She’s a student and has a boyfriend called Sean. I got all that from her Youtube page because she shares everything about her life. I’m not kidding. Watch that video.
4. Sharon Mundia, This Is Ess
6,496 subscribers | 266,448 views
This is Ess is run by Sharon Mundia, a fashion and beauty blogger. Her Youtube channel is a portal to her personal stylings in hair, clothes and travel. She’s also a contributor at CapitalFM, a Kenyan lifestyle magazine. Her videos reveal a beautiful, confident and creative woman. And engaged. Sorry, guys. In the video, you can discover 50 random things about her, if you’re still interested.
5. Caroline Mutoko
17,561 subscribers | 1,149,089 views
Caroline Mutoko works at Nairobi’s Kiss 100 FM radio station and has over 14 years experience in the media industry. She’s probably the richest person on this list. As for her Youtube page, think of it as a talk show and she’s your host. And guest. Caroline’s videos cover topics like relationships, business, whatever’s topical in Kenya at the moment, and sometimes about herself. She has a candid approach to discussions that makes you listen. You may not agree with her opinions, but you’ll still enjoy listening to them, nevertheless. Like this video above. I was nodding and laughing at the same time.
6. DuchessGabrielle
22,692 subscribers | 2,118,280 views
One of the most subscribed Youtube channels owned by a Kenyan, DuchessGabrielle is the Kenyan queen of Youtube. DuchessGabrielle runs My Natural Hair Growth blog, one of the most authoritative natural hair blogs in Kenya. On her blog, she states, “Patience, Acceptance, Dedication, A positive attitude and Love are the key elements of any successful hair journey.” Looks like the same formula worked for her social media journey as well. Her videos usually contain well researched information on hair cream formulas, caring for natural hair and some interesting research gems like the video above “Demystifying African Black Soap;”
7. Jim Nduruchi
48,834 subscribers | 57,376,241 views
Jim Nduruchi is the Director of Rise Up Society, an NGO that aims to improve the Kenyan community through social initiatives like clearing out slums, providing medical attention to the vulnerable and also executes their very popular Kill the Jigger program. His videos are usually about his team’s community programs, especially the Jigger program. Let me confess, I couldn’t stay on his page for long. There were some extreme cases of Jigger infection on there. Like this video. Viewer discretion o.
8. Kangai Mwiti, Bellesa Africa
81,464 subscribers | 4,617,291 views
The Youtuber with the highest number of subscribers on this list, Kangai Mwiti is a super talented makeup artist that also runs the female beauty blog, Bellesa Africa. She’s the Marketing Manager and Lead Makeup Artist for Lintons Beauty World. At a friend’s suggestion, she decided to start recording her makeup sessions. This led to learning photography, shooting and editing videos, recording voice overs, all while honing her makeup skills. It took her 6 months but eventually, her Youtube page caught fire and her subscriber base grew. Her page contains every kind of makeup tutorial you could think of; A-grade makeup tutorials. I know absolutely nothing about makeup but I appreciate the insane effort that went into each video. And her talent for applying makeup… scratch that, her makeup sessions are full-on transformation sessions. This lady can transform anyone. Look at what she did to Sharon Mundia.
These Kenyans will keep you running out of data subscriptions. Trust us.
Did we miss anyone?
Photo Credit: Esther Vargas via Compfight cc
