Collin Garab, popularly known as King Malume, transitioned from being a pastor to becoming Namibia’s Content Creator of the Year simply by addressing relatable issues on social media platforms. He clinched the title at the Savanna Namibian Comedy Awards in December 2024.
Starting during lockdown in 2020, he rose to fame by expressing himself and gaining a wide following of nearly 70,000 across all social media platforms. King Malume, who initially used Facebook as his main platform, has since taken TikTok by storm, thereby escalating his views.
“I garnered over 1,000 likes on my first Facebook video, and it was then that I realised I was onto something great. And the rest is history,” he reminisces. Like many other local content creators, he criticised TikTok for not including African creators in revenue-sharing opportunities, despite benefiting from their creativity.
He called on the corporate world to consider brand partnerships and sponsored content to help content creators see value for their hard work, adding that he still relies on his full-time job as a Control Room officer at a bulk utility supply company.
“It’s a pity having all this recognition and not being able to show anything for it. While there are understandable challenges that prevent creatives like myself from benefiting from our hard work, I believe more can be done to help us reach our full potential.
I want to represent someone or something. I know I have the brand power to be part of something meaningful, but I will not be deterred, because I love what I am doing,” Malume asserted.
Despite working towards a big break, King Malume has been using his fame to serve small and upcoming businesses by recording and sharing promotional videos on his platforms, mainly in his home town of Walvis Bay.
He added that content creation has a downside, especially regarding negative comments from naysayers, and confessed that the negativity initially took a huge toll on his confidence and mental health.
“I advocate for mental health a lot because I was once almost deeply affected by it. But I realised that giving up what I love doing would only please a certain ten percent of my audience, and it wouldn’t be worth it,” he remarked.
King Malume described his journey as a content creator as fulfilling in many ways he never imagined, citing his participation in an exhibition boxing match to raise awareness about the effects of mental health.
“Sometimes followers reach out to me online for advice. As a former pastor, I believe I have divine abilities to connect with people and in conflict resolution.
I also want to dispel the notion that no longer being a pastor means I am not godly. I am simply spreading the word differently, using a different platform, and that shouldn’t be judged,” he stressed.
In conclusion, King Malume urged consumers to value content creators for their efforts, whether for entertainment, education, or inspiration, as it requires consistency to create meaningful content, which rarely guarantees valuable success.
“Overnight success is far-fetched, especially in Namibia. My content has gone viral many times with no tangible benefits or rewards, but I’m glad I have built a following, and I’m more than happy to continue creating content for my followers,” he said.