If you have been wondering why some celebrities have so many followers on Instagram, then you have come to the right place. This guide, which is based on a collaborated report by different sites, including You Know, Brandwatch, GlobalWebIndex, and AskAfrika, looks into the social media lives of 20 South African celebrities with the most followers on Instagram. The report shows why these celebrities are as famous as they are and also shines a light on the power they wield over their fans.
Top 20 Most Entertaining South African Celebrities On Instagram
1. Abraham Benjamin de Villiers
- Date of Birth: 17 February 1984
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 12.7 Million
- Profession: Cricketer
- Instagram Handle: @abdevilliers17
AB de Villiers is a renowned South African cricketer who at the end of 2019, was named one of the five Wisden cricketers of the decade. Amongst the many records he set, he holds the records for the fastest 50 (16 balls), 100 (31 balls), and 150 (64 balls) of all time in One Day Internationals by any batsmen. He also holds the fastest hundred by a South African in Tests and the fastest 50 by a South African in T20Is.
De Villiers is further a three-time ICC ODI player of the year, winning the award in 2010, 2014, and 2015. He captained South Africa in all three formats but has since announced his retirement from international cricket.
Beyond his field activities, the South African has also gathered a huge following on Instagram where he basically shares things about his personal life experiences, including his childhood, fatherhood, relationships with friends and family members, professional life, and a host of others. Some of his most popular posts on the social media platform have over half a million likes and thousands of comments. Such posts include his time with his wife and kids and his time playing the sport he loves among others.
2. Boltumelo Thulo
- Date of Birth: April 28, 1990
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 4.6 Million
- Profession: TV personality
- Instagram Handle: @boity
Popularly known as Boity, Boltumelo Thulo is a multi-talented South Africa star who works as a television host, actor, rapper, and model. She is also a renowned businesswoman. Her first appearance on TV was in 2011 when she co-hosted the YOTV educational show Crib Notes alongside Stevie Frenche. After that, she starred as Mpho Bogastsu in all four seasons of Rockville which started back in 2012.
For her outstanding work on TV, Boity has become one of the top Instagram influencers in SA. Her page on IG contains very juicy content; from bikini shots gathering thousands of likes to paid ads and recommendations all of which get fans yearning for more.
3. Cassper Nyovest
- Date of Birth: 16 December 1990
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 4.2 Million
- Profession: Musician
- Instagram Handle: @casspernyovest
Cassper Nyovest, whose birth name is Refiloe Maele Phoolo, is a South African rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and record producer. The musician is an all-around entertainer and this is what he brings to his Instagram page. From cute moments with his kid, his flashy lifestyle, outdoor adventures, promos for his music, and his family’s life, Cassper’s Instagram page is just a sight to behold.
4. Minnie Dlamini-Jones
- Date of Birth: 7 July 1990
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 4.1 Million
- Profession: TV Host, Actress, Model
- Instagram Handle: @minniedlamin
Minnie Dlamini-Jones is a South African on-air personality, actress, and model. Covering the 2010 World Cup is probably the biggest fish in her net as long as tv presenting is concerned. She has also starred in three notable movies; The Wild, Rockville, and Generations.
Minnie’s super wedding to Quinton Jones further sealed her position before the public. The event was super in that she signed a 6 million Rand contract with Multi-Choice to showcase her life just before the wedding, during the wedding, and as Mrs. Jones. The star pulls a crowd of fans for living an open life and having been a TV personality before venturing into modeling.
Apart from her hot pictures, wedding photos, pregnancy shoots as well as her charitable activities that garner thousands of likes, the announcement of her baby’s arrival is probably her most-liked photo on IG.
5. Bonang Dorothy Matheba
- Date of Birth: 25 June 1987
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 4.1 Million
- Profession: TV/Radio Host, Businesswoman, Producer, Model
- Instagram Handle: @bonang_m
Bonang is a South African television presenter, radio personality, businesswoman, producer, model, and philanthropist. She is known for her flamboyant presenting skills and her signature voice.
Considering that she has appeared on the Forbes list for Africa’s top 50 powerful women, added to the sweet content she posts on her IG page, pulling a crowd shouldn’t be a difficult job. The star keeps her Insta action lively by posting pictures and cute random selfies consistently. Among her most liked photos are her 2020 birthday picture which garnered over 200,000 likes.
6. Pearl Thusi
- Date of Birth: 13 May 1988
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 3.7 Million
- Profession: TV/ Radio Host
- Instagram Handle: @pearlthusi
Pearl Thusi is a radio/TV presenter, movie actress, and model who has worked for various notable brands. She is known for her portrayal of Patricia Kopong in the BBC/HBO comedy-drama series, The No. 1 Ladies Detective. The Queen Sono actress is also another very entertaining South African celebrity on Instagram. On her page, she keeps things simple and fun. Posts on it cut across different aspects of human life with regular reviews of various beauty products on her page. She also takes fans through her workout regime, adventures, and family life with her daughters.
7. Somizi Mhlongo
- Date of Birth: 23 December 1972
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 3.7 Million
- Profession: Media Personality, Actor, Dancer
- Instagram Handle: @Somizi
Somizi Mhlongo is a South African actor, media personality, and choreographer. In 1992, he appeared in the musical and political film Sarafina which gained him prominence. The entertainer is openly gay and he sometimes sheds light on LGBTQ issues and more. This has brought him fans from the gay community and invariably Instagram followers. To keep people entertained, he shares photos of his luxurious lifestyle and some of his drool-worthy recipes.
8. DJ Zinhle
- Date of Birth: December 30, 1982
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 3.6 Million
- Profession: DJ, Producer, Media Personality, Businesswoman
- Instagram Handle: @djzinhle
Ntombezinhle Jiyane, popularly known as DJ Zinhle, is a renowned DJ, producer, media personality, and businesswoman. She became famous as a DJ when she became a resident DJ on a youth dance show called Jika Majika.
Being a DJ, Zinhle gets to promote a lot of items used around parties, drinks most especially. Her IG account is filled with videos and pictures bound to entertain especially seeing her loving life and how she practices self-care which is what many people need. She also has first-hand info on where the next hot party will be at, so if you are in SA and want to have some fun, just visit her page.
9. Amanda Du-Pont
- Date of Birth: 26 June 1988
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 3.5 Million
- Profession: Media Personality, Model, Actress
- Instagram Handle: @amandadupont
Amanda Du-Pont is a Swazi-born South African actress, model, and television host. Currently, she stars as Ashley in the Netflix thriller series, Shadow. As a beauty icon, her IG account is educating as well as entertaining as she gives little life hacks on how to get that flawless skin and nice shape. You will also find photos of her love life and other cute content which many find inspiring.
10. Nomzamo Mbatha
- Date of Birth: 13 July 1990
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 3.5 Million
- Profession: Actress, TV Personality, Businesswoman, and Human Rights Activist
- Instagram Handle: @nomzamo_m
Nomzamo is a respectable actress, human rights activist, and media personality who has been known to post some very cute photos on Instagram in the past, making her one of the most entertaining South African celebrities. She loves flaunting her fit body and fashion photoshoots. She also posts photos of her real-life adventures which consist of her different trips, product reviews, and of course, killer outfits. She has also been keeping her fans entertained with her charitable activities. Her strong participation in the black lives matter movement gave a huge boost to her Insta page.
11. Black Coffee
- Date of Birth: 11 March 1976
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 2.9 Million
- Profession: DJ, Record Producer, Singer
- Instagram Handle: @realblackcoffee
Black Coffee is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and of course, a DJ. He was the recipient of the 2015 Breakthrough DJ of the Year award at the DJ Awards in Ibiza. He has five albums to his name. The star is an Instagram king with over 2.9 million followers. He always posts music-related things on his Instagram like pictures of him performing at a festival on a different continent or with high-profile musicians like Pharrell. As a result, music fans often troop to his page in search of juicy content.
12. AKA
- Date of Birth: 28 January 1988
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 2.8 Million
- Profession: Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, and Entrepreneur
- Instagram Handle: @akaworldwide
After the release of “victory lap” back in 2011, Kiernan Jarryd Forbes, who is professionally known as AKA, hit popularity and became a household name in South Africa. He has since gone from being a rapper to venturing into music production. His celeb personality alongside his music style and overall brand are what people find quite entertaining on his Instagram page. His different promotional material, online modeling, love life, and a few random shots of his life activities have also fetched him many Instagram fans.
13. Jessica Nkosi
- Date of Birth: January 20, 1990
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 2.6 Million
- Profession: TV Presenter, Actress
- Instagram Handle: @jessicankosi
Jessica Ayanda Nkosi is best known for her leading roles in M-Net commissioned telenovelas like Isibaya, Ayeye, and recently The Queen. She has since become one of the more entertaining South African celebrities on Instagram due to her love for always keeping fans in the loop of what is going on in her life. Her posts on IG are mainly lifestyle posts, her day to day living, and family.
14. Lerato Kyanyago
- Date of Birth: 22 July 1982
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 2.4 Million
- Profession: TV Host
- Instagram Handle: @leratokganyago
Lerato Kganyago is not just a TV host but also an online model, entrepreneur, and DJ. The posts of the Soweto born presenter usually feature herself, people she admires, brands she is working for, and her family. However, her millions of followers probably come from the litany of women that patronize her makeup line “FlutterByLKG”, and a few others that know her from the TV.
15. Thembi Seete
- Date of Birth: 25 March 1977
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 2.3 Million
- Profession: Radio Host, Actress, Musician
- Instagram Handle: @thembiseete_
Seete became a solo artist after her group split. She went on to solidify her place in the music scene before venturing into acting and later into radio presentation. But it is not just her career that has gathered her fans on social media.
From the looks of her Instagram page, it sure looks like she lives an exciting and glamorous life and Instagram users seem to love it. She posts a lot of fun and random casual photos and some occasional quotes or tags for the brands she works for. Her workout and yoga posts on the social media platform also play a role. She is obviously good looking so people, ladies most especially, would be snooping to know what her secrets might be.
16. Khanya Mkangisa
- Date of Birth: March 13, 1988
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 1.8 Million
- Profession: Actress
- Instagram Handle: @ilovekhanya
Khanya is best known for her roles in the popular Isidingo TV series. She has also appeared in other shows like Shattered, Step Up to a Start-Up, and Harvest. The actress has further done some work as a television presenter and DJ.
Away from her career, the star knows how to make an impact on Instagram. She posts everything from hot selfies, inspirational quotes to shout out to friends. She also models mainly for lingerie companies on her page, so women that need help picking out clothing to feel good can always stroll in. Men aren’t excluded from the party too as they can be seen commenting on all her photos.
17. Faf du Plessis
- Date of Birth: 13 July 1984
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 1.7 Million
- Profession: Cricketer
- Instagram Handle: @fafdup
Francois du Plessis is the former captain of the South African national cricket team. With cricket being a sport that has gained considerable ground in SA, surely it does not come as a surprise to see one or two players of the sport being very famous. Francois’s followers are mainly sports fans and other users who find his content entertaining especially as he loves to post photos of himself and his family.
18. Dale Steyn
- Date of Birth: 27 June 1983
- Number of Followers on Instagram: Over 1.5 Million
- Profession: Cricketer
- Instagram Handle: @dalesteyn
Dale Steyn is a South African professional cricketer who plays for the South African Cricket Team. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. Besides his sporting endeavors, Dale is a keen lover of the water and animals. This reflects on his posts on Instagram. In fact, surfing and fishing trips are plastered all over the place on his page and these keep his fans glued.
19. Terry Pheto
- Date of Birth: 11 May 1981
- Number of Followers on Instagram: 958k
- Profession: Actress
- Instagram Handle: @terrypheto
Moitheri “Terry” Pheto played the lead role in the 2005 Oscar-winning feature film, Tsotsi and has since gained a spot in the hearts of many South Africans. In 2012, she won a Best Supporting Actress award for her role in How to Steal 2 Million. Her career wins as well as her normal celeb lifestyle, plus her passion for cooking, have gained her fans online, especially those interested in the culinary arts.
20. Emtee
- Date of Birth: N/A
- Number of Followers: 108k
- Profession: Rapper
- Instagram Handle: @emteerecords
Emtee is a hip hop artist and owner of Emtee Records. He is the last on our list of the most entertaining South African celebrities on Instagram although his followers can’t be compared to the rest of the celebrities on the list as he only just recently began to ramp up his activity on the platform. Being not so big in the music industry makes him quite accessible to upcoming artists that might be looking up to him for a shot to make it big time.
AB de Villiers is South Africa’s Most Popular Instagrammer
The most popular Instagram user in South Africa is our number one, AB de Villiers, a sportsman with a lot of hype indeed. As earlier stated, he is a renowned South African cricketer who holds many records for his outstanding skills on the field. This and the fact that he shares things about his marriage to Danielle Swart (which happened in March 2013) and as well as his three kids have also increased his popularity on the social media platform.
Boity Takes the Title of Being the Influencer with the Most Instagram Followers in South Africa
The Instagrammer with the highest number of followers in South Africa is incidentally not the influencer with the most Instagram followers in the country. This honor goes to Boity who ranks second on this list of the most entertaining South African celebrities on Instagram. This is because AB de Villiers does not necessarily rely on his social media performance to thrive. He doesn’t have to do so much on social media to win fans. However, the same can’t be said for Boity who relies hugely on her social media audience despite having a lesser number of followers than De Villers. For this reason, she has to consistently engage her audience in other to inspire and influence as well as retain relevance.
