A Moment Long in the Making
If 2025 has a soundtrack for momentum, Lerato Nxumalo is contributing a soaring verse. On 15 October, she shared two wins with her followers that felt like a culmination of years of hustle: she’s landed a role in Netflix’s upcoming series Bad Influencer, and her YouTube channel blew past the 200,000 subscriber mark.
The Instagram post she made that day glowed with gratitude and disbelief. Between calling it a “full-circle moment” and thanking God for the opportunity, you could sense how much those milestones meant.
Stepping Into Bad Influencer
Netflix’s Bad Influencer premieres on 31 October. Lerato joins a cast that includes names like Zozibini Tunzi, making quite a first impression alongside celebrated peers. The series tackles the world behind social media façades and hidden storytelling arcs, and Lerato is now part of a project many expect to draw eyes across the continent.
She thanked the show’s team for the “amazing experience” and described walking through the door, no matter how small, as part of divine timing.
From Vlogs to Victory on YouTube
The second celebration is just as sweet. Lerato began her YouTube journey back on 28 July 2016, posting vlogs, lifestyle content, and glimpses of her day-to-day life. Over time, the digital space became more than a hobby—it became a platform.
Reaching over 200,000 subscribers (and marking that with balloons, shoutouts, and heartfelt posts) was a public confirmation: her voice matters. What’s striking is how quickly she climbed—within just a fortnight, she’d already passed the milestone she’d been building toward.
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What This Means for Mzansi Creators
Lerato’s story isn’t special because it’s rare. It’s significant because it reflects a broader trajectory in South Africa: creatives weaving between screens, platforms, and formats, blurring lines between traditional acting and digital influence.
A generation ago, you had to choose one path: stage, TV, or film. Now we see artists doing it all. Lerato stepping from content into a major Netflix engagement is symbolic of doors opening for people who have been building, waiting, and showing up.
A Voice with Many Platforms
What makes this story compelling is the continuity. Lerato didn’t abandon her YouTube roots to pursue acting. She kept shifting, adapting, and creating across media. And now, the shifts are aligning.
As Bad Influencer launches and her subscriber count keeps ticking upward, she is proof that storytelling doesn’t live in silos anymore. In Mzansi especially, audiences want authenticity, variety, and consistency. Lerato is giving them that.
So whether you catch her in a Netflix intro or a casual vlog thumbnail, you’re witnessing someone who’s patiently stacking moments until the breakthrough catches fire.
Source: Briefly News
Featured Image: Glamour South Africa
