Malume Foodie was the only South African winner at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa.
Self-taught cook Malume Foodie was the only South African winner at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa, taking home the Food Creator of the Year title.
“From my humble beginnings of Hammanskraal, to Soshanguve and to all of South Africa, now we are in Africa!” reflected Malume Foodie after his win.
The awards, held on Saturday evening, honoured the creators who defined a new era of African culture, entertainment and storytelling.
“Tonight’s ceremony was a gathering of the trailblazers who have redefined what it means to be a creator in Africa. From Sokoto to Nairobi, and Accra to Pretoria, we honoured the creators who turned 60-second clips into cultural movements,” said TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba.
“We are honoured to celebrate them as they amplify their voices and take their stories from Africa to the world.”
Bontle Modiselle-Moloi hosted the awards, with Keegan Gordon and Zayaan Noorani as red-carpet presenters.
Mihlali Ndamase made a surprise appearance to present the Video of the Year award, while South African Olympic medallist Akani Simbine presented the Sport Creator of the Year award.
ALSO READ: Mike Morton: ‘I didn’t think at the age of 36 I’d be calling myself a TikToker’
Nigerian domination
Malume Foodie, who hails from Pretoria, was the only South African to win a category, with Nigerian content creators being the biggest winners on the night.
Food content creator Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim from Nigeria won the Creator of the Year award for her channel, Diaryofanortherncook, which celebrates Northern Nigerian cuisine.
@diaryofanortherncook Mutanen chef rajah ta Badariya mun ci awards🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 .. @TikTok Nigeria ta kaimu South Africa kuma muka ci wwwrd. Nagode Nagode Nagode!!!!! Allah ya biya ku. More update na zuwa😂😂#diaryofanortherncook #chefrajah #tiktokawards2025 ♬ original sound – Anas M Shadda
Another food content creator from the West African country, Brian Nwana, won Storyteller of the Year for how he reviews.
“Every single creator is a storyteller. We all tell stories that help drive the local communities, our cities, and our countries, and when we do that, we change the perception that the world has about us,” said the content creator as he accepted his award.
In 2024, Nwana set the record for Most Fast Food Restaurants Visited in 24 Hours. His initial goal was to visit 120 restaurants; however, Nwana visited 150 eateries.
@briannwana From a random guy in Abuja eating food online to winning a TikTok Africa Award anything is possible. Love you all fr. December, we turn up 😏🏆🔥 @TikTok South Africa @TikTok Nigeria @TikTok Africa #tiktokawardsssa2025 ♬ All I Do Is Win – DJ Khaled
His journey started at 5pm at Chicken Republic in Gwarimpa and ended 24 hours later at Truck Central. Previously, the record was held by Canadian Eric Decker, who had visited 100 restaurants in 24 hours.
The Social Impact Creator of the Year award went to another Nigerian, Dejoke Ogunbiyi, who, through her TikTok page, tackles social issues with grace and impact, mobilising her community for positive change.
South Africa’s Sinethemba Masinga was a runner-up in the category.
The Sports Creator of the Year award went to Kenyan creator John Maingi Mbugua. Through his channel, Mbugua and his team deliver football analysis with both passion and precision.
They represent a new wave of sports journalism: fan-led, authentic, and always on the ball.
“Winning isn’t the finish line, it’s fuel for the next chapter,” said the sports journalist.
“Every piece of content, every discussion, every moment captured was driven by passion, and receiving this recognition means that passion is resonating far beyond my expectations.”
Nigeria’s Victor Ademola was the runner-up in the category.
