Breaking through the social media glass wall

When people speak of parallel universes, we sometimes think they are exaggerating.

Until Kefilwe Mabote had her Porsche seized by the Hawks in an anti-corruption sweep that trended on Twitter early this week, I had no idea who she was.

And yet she is famous. Which is why I felt bad that I'd never heard of her.

Though I stopped working full time in the media seven years ago, I am still a news junkie. Even frivolous stuff, I still follow.

Anyway, when I realised I'd never heard of Ms Mabote, I went to Google. But even the search engine could not furnish me with enough information about her.

When I posted stuff on Facebook about this, I was relieved to discover that most of the people on that platform had also never heard of her. These included a top executive at an advertising agency.

But there were others who knew exactly who she was and why she is famous. She is a famous influencer.

Not an influenza, my fellow old ladies and gentlemen, an influencer.

Thanks to my teenage kids, I know what an influencer is. I know a lot of you reading this column – like millions of South Africans – do not know what these people called influencers exactly do for a living.

To give you a brief answer: influencers are those colourful people (usually young and sexy) who pimp products on Instagram. Stuff like Louis Vuitton, Nike, famous cosmetics, fancy cars and store-bought breasts.

Old-school guys would call them “models”. But they are different from the “models” from back then, if you get my drift.

To get to grips with influencers,  go to Instagram.

Ah, come on you old people, you are now going to ask me what Instagram is! Ask your teenage kids or grandkids. And, while you’re at it, ask them to show you how to open an Instagram account.

Yes, fellow old people, I do have an Instagram account. I use Instagram and Twitter to promote my books. That's my excuse for being on those platforms.

Don’t feel bad that you don’t know about these things. Yes, the beautiful young people who “live” on Instagram will probably laugh at you for not knowing what happens in “their world”.

The flip side of the coin is that even though you are not au fait with Instagram and Twitter, you have travelled to many countries and read hundreds of books, and are knowledgeable in many things that the people in the Instagram universe will never be exposed to.

That’s the point I was making about parallel universes. Which is to say: you can’t know everything.

I was going to say “stay in your lane”. But, no, you are allowed to explore, especially if it doesn’t cost you much to just venture into these “worlds” that you have not bothered to visit.

Thanks to the scandal this week, I now know a bit about Mabote.

A true denizen of Instagram, she is young, beautiful and fond of showing off.

She is the news this week because her luxury car was seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit, as the Hawks pounced on her boyfriend Edwin Sodi.

Sodi and six others were charged in court for fleecing the Free State government of R255m through an allegedly corrupt asbestos audit contract.

The AFU obtained a provisional restraint order against Sodi and his co-accused, allowing it to seize around R300m in assets.

Twenty-five vehicles, which include a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Bentley Continental and several Mercedes Benzes and Ford Rangers were all seized.

People who know Mabote say she had her own money long before she met Sodi.

Let’s just hope she didn’t benefit from corruption.