Elsa Majimbo is a Kenyan content creator (comedienne)who rose to fame in 2020 when one of her comedy videos went viral on Instagram. She is one of Africa’s most widely acclaimed content creators, winning the People’s Choice Award for Favorite African Social Star in 2020.
She is also the youngest African featured on Forbes, specifically in the top 30 under 30 categories. Her stardom has won her countless brand endorsements, including Rihanna’s luxury clothing brand Fenty Beauty.
Elsa’s journey to fame began in March 2020, a challenging year for many people due to the covid 19 pandemic. During the period, Elsa amassed an international audience with her lighthearted comedy videos on Instagram that made fun of the everyday situations of people during the pandemic period.
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The then 19-year-old journalism student at Strathmore University became an internet sensation after one of her comedy videos on her Instagram page went viral.
However, the video did not trend in Kenya. Rather, it went viral in South Africa. She was therefore invited for an interview with Sowetan Live, a South African publication, about her content creation journey.
Elsa’s videos were both in English and Swahili, and her new South African fanbase complained in the comments, saying they didn’t understand Swahili. Therefore, she started adding subtitles to her videos.
In April, she attended a live Instagram interview with Glamour South Africa, and her social media following blew. She went from 1,000 to 50,000 Twitter followers and 7,000 to 200,000 Instagram followers within a week.
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In May, she secured an endorsement deal with a cosmetic company – Marc Cosmetics Africa – and in June had her videos featured on Comedy Central Africa for an entire month. She also got an endorsement deal with MTN South Africa, where callers could set their call status to Elsa’s comedy tunes.
She also partnered with South Africa’s digital distribution company, Content Connect Africa, to entertain callers with her hilarious skits. In July, she was featured in The Guardian, a leading American publication. She was also featured on National Geographic. During the same month, she was featured in an advertisement for the South African fast food company Chicken Licken.
In August, Majimbo was featured in CNN Africa and The New York Times. To top it all off, in September, she received an endorsement from Rihanna’s luxury clothing brand Fenty Beauty for their sunglasses. She was also interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN for his regular show Full Circle.
Her fame has earned her recognition from Black Panther superstar Lupita Nyong’o, South African rapper Cassper Nyovest, American singer SZA, and former miss universe Zozi Tunzi.
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Elsa’s rise to fame is remarkable, especially because it did not originate from Kenyans. Her stardom originated in South Africa, a fact she has acknowledged numerous times. She has even put up the South African flag on her Twitter page.
However, as she gained popularity across borders, Kenyans were criticizing her for allegedly copying Debora Chebet, a Kenyan content creator. Majimbo disregarded the claims, attributing her success to God’s blessings.
Her rejection in Kenya has been a blessing in disguise, as it has opened unimaginable doors for the young content creator. She was the first Kenyan comedian to be featured in the New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes, and CNN. She was also the first Kenyan comedian to work with an international brand like Fenty Beauty.
Elsa Majimbo’s story is a lesson of how Kenyans should support their content creators to maximize their potential.