Sizakele Ndaba, better known as Mama kaLo, has become a viral superstar almost overnight.
Her sharp tongue, hilarious one-liners, and unfiltered family skits have Mzansi in stitches.
Her catchphrase: “Hi Chommie, ninjwani? Ngishwaaap. Ngiyanizwa man nikhuluma ngokukhathala and everything and what. Nobundiya ke sinabo ekhaya. UMaharaj lo owaqala ukuthi kube namandiya la emhlabeni, ugogo wami. Nasi ngiyakutshweela.”
Loosely translated as: “Hey friend, how’s it going? I’m fine. I’m listening to you guys talking about being tired and all that. Do you know Maharaj, the very first Indian on earth? Yes, that’s my grandma.”
Mama kaLo’s clips, which range from satirising everyday chaos to ridiculing South African life, are truly hilarious. Even celebs can’t resist copying her.
Focus on mental health
But the fame came by accident.
“One day I was telling my siblings about my experience at the hospital. I added jokes while telling the story, and my sibling secretly recorded me.
“I posted that video on TikTok, and it quickly became viral. I had 3 000 followers at the time; the next thing I knew, I had over 100 000,” she says.
Since then, everything she posts explodes online.
“I thought it was a once-off, but every clip just kept blowing up. The followers, the likes, the shares – it’s been [wild].”
Still, life has not been all laughs. In 2024, she put her career on hold.
“There was too much on my plate. I had to step back and focus on my mental health. But when I came back, people were still waiting for me; they still loved my content.”
Nothing about Mama kaLo’s videos is staged. “It’s just me and my siblings vibing. No scripts, no rehearsals; we improvise and post as is.”
Big appetite for acting
Now, big brands are knocking; even Netflix slid into her TikTok DMs. The streaming giant wrote: “Hey Chommie! I hope you’re well. Please send me your email address and contact number; our team would like to get in touch.”
However, she was unable to confirm or deny any TV gig, as she is keeping all details confidential.
“I can’t confirm or deny anything except that I’m excited. My life has changed, I’m getting gigs, and I definitely have a big appetite for acting and getting into the mainstream,” she said.
She admitted that her newfound fame is both exciting and overwhelming. “People are starting to recognise me on the streets, and it’s such a wonderful feeling.
“I never thought I’d become popular just by making TikTok videos. But I’m even more humbled when I see people sharing and copying my videos.”
