- Keetmanshoop based YouTuber and TikTok sensation Bernhardt Jantze has crafted a name for himself on social media, captivating fans with comedic videos titled 'Tsekorobe Nama //gaûs', meaning 'Daily Nama Household', which portray the family dynamics and everyday lives of a Nama family.
"When I got my iPhone 11, I knew I had to do something with it," the YouTuber said.
Jantze's YouTube channel grew out of a close bond of friendship credits his group of friends for inspiring him to keep creating relatable content.
"We were just in our living room, imitating our elders and parents and how they react to things, until later we decided to join YouTube.
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There were a lot of likes, comments and things, people wanted more," Jantze said. Jantze has garnered an impressive following of 10 000 subscribers on YouTube, with more than two million views. He also has over 50 000 followers on TikTok, where he delivers short, punchline-driven videos.
The crew often jokes about common stereotypes, including the height of Nama men, elderly reactions to youth issues, and church related drama.
"Women usually say that they do not want a short man, and most southern men are quite short, so we occasionally joke around with that," Jantze explained.
He noted that the influence of elders in his community plays a significant role in shaping his content.
"It's the elders; we grew up watching them. Especially intoxicated elders to film that is to show love and connection," the YouTuber said.
The content creator shared that he primarily produces his skits out of love and a sense of connection, as YouTube is not monetised in the country.
"I do it for the transaction of joy, of relatability and connection. It does feel nice to get recognised on the street sometimes, people would scream the name of my character in the streets," Jantze said.
Jantze is also a full-time law enforcement officer at the Keetmanshoop police station, where he encounters a variety of interesting individuals in the course of his daily duties. "When we do community patrols, I see people say or do the most interesting things, and I sometimes adopt them into our content," he added.
Despite his content's popularity, Jantze shared that he often faces tribalistic comments and criticism. He admits that he sometimes feels pressured to adjust his content to appeal to a broader audience.
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"When we shoot content that sometimes has violence, it is sort of attributed to our ethnicity or tribe in the comment sections. We obviously try to ignore and not take it to heart," he said.
Jantze added that he focuses on the positive aspects of his work while promoting his mother tongue and culture.
"We strive to be authentic with the language, our heritage and culture," he said.
Looking ahead, the youngster dreams of performing in theatre or on a larger platform, noting that acting on a big stage within the next five years would fulfil his aspirations.
"I would love to reach more people, live shows, and theatre shows. That would be nice," he said with a smile. Jantze believes in authenticity and humility when creating content for the public.
"When you do something with humility, your people will find you, and they will support you," he concluded.
