Controversy erupts over nomination of Nara Smith as Onezwa Mbola sidelined in Sasma food influencer award

The South African Social Media Awards (Sasmas) are stirring debate with their latest nomination in the food influencer of the year category.

The controversy centres on Nara Smith, a social media sensation despite not living in South Africa. There has been backlash about her nomination with many saying she is not the best candidate.

Influencer Khethokuhle “Kay Yarms” Ngonyama was among the people who expressed frustration about Nara's nomination.

“We have so many food influencers in South Africa and Nara is at the top of the nomination list?” she asked.

Another user Dintle Dunn accused the Sasmas of using Nara’s nomination to generate controversy.

“[It] looks like you guys added Nara for controversy so you can trend. I hate this part of social media marketing. There are so many local food influencers you could have chosen.”

Joining the debate, Nkhensani Ngomane said: “It’s tone-deaf and disrespectful to South African food influencers. Clout will be the death of so many good brands.” 

Nara, who has garnered 9.2-million followers and 417.2-million likes on TikTok, lives in Germany but previously shared she was born in Bloemfontein but moved when she was three months old. Her mother is from Lesotho and her father is German.

Despite her South African birth, her primary upbringing was in Germany. This has led to criticism from some South Africans questioning the appropriateness of her nomination.

Adding to the tension, Onezwa Mbola, a well-known South African food influencer with 839,300 followers and 7.5-million likes on TikTok was not nominated. 

Mbola, who gained recognition from MasterChef South Africa in 2022 and is known for her hearty meal videos, earlier this year accused Smith of stealing her content ideas.

“Recently I made a boba tea and I was proud of that video. The next day she made a boba tea video. You might say it may be a coincidence, except it happens often. People comment on my videos, saying I am the South African Nara Smith. How am I the South African Nara Smith when she's stealing my content?”

The Sasmas, now gearing up for their fourth annual celebration, have themed this year’s event “My World, My Story”, focusing on the narratives shared through social media.

With more than 700 nominations in the first week, the awards aim to recognise the contributions of influencers, brands and digital creators across various platforms. The ceremony is scheduled for November 23 at the Focus Rooms in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The controversy surrounding Nara's nomination underscores ongoing debates about international vs local representation in digital spaces, highlighting the challenges of balancing diverse influences while respecting local contributions.