Natalie Tewa: My social media comeback

She came, she saw, and she posted. But the posting brought her highs and lows in equal measure. That saw Natalie Wanjiru Githinji, popularly known as Natalie Tewa, take an 11-month break from social media.

Now she’s back. And she’s barrelling through like she never left.

Before she took time off, she had gone through a nasty and public breakup with her ex, Rnaze. She had been rumoured to be in a relationship with a former governor.

Before we get to all that though, let’s go back to the beginning of Natalie Tewa as we know her. Her brother was three when he first called her Tewa, unable to pronounce one of her names. The name was taken on by her family and friends. 
She started her content creation path in 2015. She was pursuing a degree in architectural engineering at the University of Leeds and looking for a creative outlet when she decided to open a YouTube channel, posting her natural hair journey. She gained followers.

The hair journey started when she called a friend over to help chop it off. It was hard for her to take care of her relaxed hair in the UK. 
“It felt scary but it was also so liberating. Sometimes hair can be such a burden, especially if you’re not loving what you’ve got. It was so damaged and getting difficult to take care of.”

In 2016, after graduating, she returned to Nairobi and got an internship with Acorn Holdings Africa, the company behind Qwetu student residences. She started the first resident buildings on Jogoo Road and Baba Dogo.

“They got a lot of inspiration from Unite Student Accommodations in Leeds, which is where I stayed. I came in to understand how everything works and how to manage the students,” she adds.

"Quarter-life crisis"

Two years later, she says she had a quarter-life crisis. For three months she had been contemplating joining the content creators’ universe after being inspired by YouTubers like Sharon Mundia and Joy Kendi.
“I was working full time, sometimes leaving the office at 11 pm, so there was no time to even attend events. During the weekends, I was too tired. The calling was too strong. One day I got to the office at 8 am and told my deskie, ‘Today’s the day!’ I wrote the letter and just submitted it. I didn’t tell my parents,” she says. 

She knew she could work with even smaller brands and still have something to sustain herself until she found her footing.
In 2018, she decided to get a videographer and shoot professionally and that’s when she started growing a lot. Her first travel blog was “Travelling to Mombasa on a budget” and she stayed at a friend’s three-bedroom unit at English Point Marina for Sh7,000 a night and felt the urge to promote it.
Her audience loved it. She learnt to come up with a script and follow through with it.

She then had a couple’s blog space with her ex-boyfriend and people then believed it was a free game to get information on her personal life, she says. So, when “internet investigators” placed her with a former governor during his trip, she was the talk of the town. 

“Let people believe what they want to believe,” she says. While celebrating hitting 100,000 subscribers on YouTube two months ago, however, she refuted claims about the said politician, including being bought a car and land. Her comeback to social media after the break has seen her build her brand. She says she is more fearless and a more authentic version of herself now. 

Corporate deals

“Now I’m doing weekly vlogs and talking more about my life,” she says. Even if she trends again, she says it’s okay.  She has also been vocal about her issues with acne, something she’s suffered from for a very long time.  “She shares her processes and also institutions that actually help people with acne.”

Besides her deal with Samsung – where she is the brand ambassador for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 phone in a five-month deal that ends in December – she appreciates how brands work with influencers making it a real job. 
“Back then, you had a rate card but still had to negotiate even though you know how much it takes to create quality content. My first big brand was Coca-Cola Schweppes,” she says.

Other than content creation, she is a farmer. Her stepfather’s family business is in tea and coffee. When her mother grew a few avocado trees, she inspired her. She’s cagey about how many trees she has, joking that she doesn’t want to get robbed.
She also has a skincare product line that she doesn’t divulge because she insists that she wants it to grow on its own.

Having to attend events and take pictures led her to find her style but she doesn’t consider herself a fashionista. While in university, she started wearing an engagement ring while going out because she says men can be very intrusive. She spends her days off visiting her parents and also taking care of her plants, and working out.

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