By Louise Murphy
Whilst traditionally, America and Britain have been seen as the hotspots for film and music talent, there is a growing trend for South African artists to take the world by storm. With several Academy Award nominations under their belts, film cameos, and millions of followers on Twitter and Instagram, these are some of the South African artists whose futures look incredibly promising:
Neill Blomkamp
Johannesburg-born Blomkamp is a hugely successful film director and screenwriter, with his sci-fi thriller District 9 garnering critical acclaim around the world and earning him and his wife an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay, as well as being nominated for Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, and Editing. He then went on to make the thrilling Sci-Fi film Elysium, which stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Blomkamp’s films do not shy away from difficult themes, often covering universal issues such as immigration, illness, and class problems, which may explain why they are so popular worldwide. Forbes magazine listed him 21st most powerful celebrity from Africa, and he hasn’t let his earlier success or praise stop him from collaborating with exciting artists on new projects such as an Alien remake and Chappie.
Die Antwoord
This South-African rap-rave group is formed of rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser (or Vi$$er). The group identify as “zef,” which Ninja states is a style of music and subculture. More recently, the group collaborated with Blomkamp as they cameoed in his film Chappie, strengthening the link between artistic forms in South African culture. Of course, this inter-cultural exchange is not limited to film, as musical influence is present in TV adverts as well as popular slot machines which play our favorite songs while we enjoy the game. This wasn’t always the case, as this history of slot machines demonstrates–they started off as quite dull and perfunctory in comparison to the games we’re used to today.
Caspar Lee
Caspar Lee is a popular YouTuber who has gone on to be signed with Gleam Futures Talent Agency, the company that also manages the likes of Zoe Sugg (Zoella), Alfie Deyes (Pointless Blog) and many others. With millions of followers across his social media accounts, it is clear that Caspar Lee is hugely popular. So far his success has led him to take part in the “YouTube Boyband,” which raised money for Comic Relief, but Caspar has also gained some cameos in films and TV programs, suggesting that there are still many more exciting prospects to come from this YouTuber from Knysna.
Louise Murphy is an English Literature graduate with a penchant for writing. As a self-confessed lover of travel, her dream is to visit every continent on the planet and blog about her adventures.
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