Seven years after diving into content creation as a hobby, Snikiwe ‘Sni’ Mhlongo is TH-RI-VI-NG. Though it may not (yet) be in the’making-billions-of-out-content-creation’ sense, she’s built a career out of her passion for fashion and gets to use her University of Cape Town degree in media, writing, and sociology to good use—minus the limitations of a typical nine-to-five. Plus, her social media following is beyond admirable.Any 20-something-year-old will know that the ultimate in freedom is to have a job that is a) an extension of one’s personality and passions; b) that allows for as much flexibility as possible; and c) definitely one where you won’t be caught up in petty aircon battles with colleagues. “For the longest time, my dream was to be a magazine editor because I like writing as well. Then, in varsity, influencers and content creators became a thing. So, I decided that if the opportunities weren’t coming to me, I’d create them myself on my own platforms,” shares the 25-year-old.

THE FUTURE AND BEYONDMany concerns surround the world of influencing and content creation: sparse opportunities, competitiveness, low pay, and having to maintain a perfect front even when things are falling apart in the background. Yet, Sni swears the future of content creation and influence is promising. “A lot of people keep saying that this industry is saturated and that it’s going to die out soon. And I just wonder if they know how long the guys in these first-world countries have been doing this as a job. We literally just arrived!” enthuses Sni. If anything, she believes the industry is about to be taken a lot more seriously and that it’s bound to get bigger. “There is literally enough room for anyone who loves content creation to just start,” she adds.The face of content creation and influence is slowly changing. There have been more and more reports of content creators globally either relocating to remote towns for a creativity and mental health boost or toning down on oversharing. For some, the instant social media fame and the zero privacy it comes with is overwhelming. With mental health seemingly at the top of the agenda globally, content creation too is slowly starting to move in the direction of more authenticity and less of the facade of a perfect life. We’re convinced that Sni’s authenticity is what has kept her at the top of the game, yet she insists that it’s her “drip” that’s earned her a loyal social media following.

STYLE STAKES ARE HIGHAsked to describe her style, Sni responds, “I actually don’t know how I would describe my style. It’s less about the style and more about the story I am trying to tell with the outfit,” she says, adding that her style is flexible and adaptable. “It’s less about the style of the pieces that I’m wearing and more about the vibe I’m trying to give off. At a polo event, for instance, I’m not trying to be a baddie, so I’ll go for a look that is sexy but youthful, grown, and classy.”When it comes to her personal style, she’s certain about one thing: that her actress mom, Brenda Mhlongo, was her first source of inspiration. Luckily for Sni, she’s never really experienced the expectations often placed on children who work in the same industry as their parents. “It’s only been the positives,” she says. For most of her career, she adds, people had no clue who her parents were. Her dad, Edmund Mhlongo, is a director, writer and all-round creative. “I’m just grateful to have grown up in an environment that nurtured what I was interested in. As a kid, I’d cut up my clothes to make new outfits, which would frustrate my mom,” she muses.Growing up and watching her mom slay the style stakes, Sni always knew that she, too, wanted to be a “hot babe” at that age. “Nowadays, my style is inspired by a bit of myself and Pinterest. But a lot of the fashion rules I have—like matching your shoes with your bag—come from my mom,” says Sni.She cites Rihanna as the love of her life, saying that around age 16/17, she was already emulating the hitmaker’s Good Girl Gone Bad era. Outside of that, she loves how unapologetic Rihanna is about everything, especially fashion. “I’d love to get into Rihanna’s head. Oh, but wait, I kind of have already because I have her coffee table book where she takes us through her life,” she explains, in between giggles.

A FOCUSED GIRLSni’s social media numbers are evidence of her vast influence and that our greatest passions can lead to a fulfilling career. She kicked off her content creation career on YouTube back in 2016 while juggling her varsity studies. “YouTube is a platform where you sort of develop a cult following. If people like you on YouTube, then you’re set. A lot of my content back then was very educational, which is something I should probably go back to, and I feel like that allowed me to grow organically. Back then, I didn’t want people to just come to my platform and copy my outfits; I wanted them to know why I’d put the outfit together like that so that they could do that with their own pieces,” she reflects.Sni is still beaming about her recent Sni Mhlongo x Imprecca Collaboration, a collection with local fashion brand Imprecca that features vibrant colour palettes and pieces curated with the greatest attention to detail. “My collaboration with Imprecca was definitely one of those ‘dream big’ type things,” she shares. She also mentions her 2022 Jimmy Choo fragrance campaign and her work with Vaseline as some of her favourite projects. “I’m particularly grateful to a brand like Vaseline for taking me under their wing and growing with the Sni Mhlongo brand,” she says. As for her own brand expansion, Sni definitely has plans of going beyond just creating content. But she’s highly cautious, though! “The nature of a person is to downplay their goals and dreams because they’re scared. My dreams are big, and they scare me, but I definitely do have them. I want to do more in the fashion space,” she admits, adding that her own fashion line is  ideal.“I just need to sharpen my wings so I can take off.”

PIECES OF MY LIFEOn the question of how she constantly holds it together, amidst a life of neverending shoots, hustling, and attending events, Sni responds with a sarcastic: “Do I hold everything together?”, followed by a chuckle. “I definitely have my low moments. With work, I tend to overthink stuff, get overwhelmed, and then start freaking out. But my team always manages to pull me back to earth.” She continues, “But for the most part, it helps to have people around me who first understand what I do for a living and its impact, as well as how that could affect my life. These are the same people who keep me grounded and remind me that, inasmuch as I have opened myself up to public scrutiny by sharing my life, it is still my life,” says Sni. That, she says, and anyone she interacts with daily sustain her and helps her keep sane.One important lesson she’s learned in the past seven years is to go easy on oversharing. She still slips up from time to time because she generally likes sharing, she says. “I think this is what makes your OG creators OGs. They’ve all pulled back from oversharing based on how social media is now, and I have done the same,” she says.  And though she doesn’t experience nearly as much cyberbullying as she did in the early days, she’s also learned not to take things personally, especially from people that don’t know her personally. “Experience has really toughened me up. Back then, people were always looking for something negative to say about me and I would really take it to heart,” recalls Sni.Not one to be fazed by the rat race that is Joburg, Sni can’t imagine living anywhere else in the country. “I like the rush of Joburg. If I were to live anywhere else, I would become complacent [chuckles]. That’s a bit harsh but coastal cities are very relaxed,” she says. “I like being in a city that makes me want to pursue my limits and constantly want to better myself. In Joburg, if you’re not doing the work then someone else will. Others may see that as negative, but for me it’s about staying on your toes and finding new ways to be the person that people go to when they need things done.” But she has the puzzle that is her life all worked out. She only steps into the hustle and bustle to work, then comes back home to refuel. “Living in a really quiet neighbourhood really helps me come back down to earth,” she concludes. And that right there, is all the balance she needs (for now) to stay sane in the constant madness of life.