Tebatso 'God's Butler' Maapola is the recipient of the DStv Content Creator Award. He was a judge at this year's awards.
For Thebazzo “God's Steward” Maapola, it was a full circle moment when the nominees for this year's Emerging Content Creator Award category were announced, and he will be receiving the award in 2022.
“I am so honored and grateful to receive this award; words cannot express it. It was so great to be on the judging panel this year,” said Gods-Butler. The Citizen.
He spoke to the magazine at the DStv Content Creator Awards nominations presentation at the Radisson Red Rooftop in Rosebank on Thursday.
Tebatso, known to many devotees as Deacon of God, was a judge for both the aforementioned award, which he won, and the Trendsetter Award, which was split into two categories based on language, but he overlooked the Sepedi category.
@godsbutler A day in my life Vlog 58! #dstvcontentcreatorawards #dailyvlogs #pretoriatiktok #southafricantiktok #gautengticktok #sandtoncity #mameloditiktok #dstv #godisgoodallthetime ♬ Supa Dupa – KO
God's Butler, along with other judges, reviewed many submissions and shortlisted the nominated content creators, with the final winner being decided by public vote.
Now in its third year, the annual awards celebrate the best and most talented content creators and will take place in October.
“The DStv Content Creator Awards have fast become a highlight of the digital and social calendar, providing a platform to showcase the creativity and innovation that drives the content creation industry,” said Carice Coleman, MultiChoice Group Head of Digital Content.
There are 17 categories in total, five of which are up for public vote, allowing fans to choose who will win the prestigious award.
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Cleaning Class
Before he became a much-loved content creator, he admits that he always wanted to be famous and thought acting would be a way to achieve that dream.
“I once applied to Wits University of Technology to study drama but I was nervous and had a tendency to stutter and failed the audition. I was then advised to study sports science and decided to take a gap year. I started creating content six years after I was rejected by Wits University of Technology.”
@godsbutler Thursday workflow! #mamelodi #pretoriatiktok #youtuberslife #duplicatechallenge #southafrican #african #newyorklife ♬ God Save The King – Logical Rhymez
He officially started creating content in 2017, when he was working as a caretaker at Rephafogile Secondary School and Mamelodi High School in Tshwane Township.
“When the kids came home from school, we would go in and clean the classrooms.”
He got inspiration for content creation from international YouTube vloggers such as Casey Neistat and Peter McKinnon. “I watched a lot of tutorials to learn how to edit and film,” Gods Butler asserted.
@godsbutler 17 days of Vlog in my life! #dailyvlogs #iphonevlog #pretoriatiktok #southafricantiktok #mameloditiktok #kasi #couplevlogs ♬Maybe we'll meet again – baegel
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Maapola: “I'm not an influencer”
He expressed discomfort with being called an influencer, saying he would rather be called a content creator.
“I don't like the word 'influencer' because it makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm just documenting my life through a camera. When I hear the word 'influencer' in my mind, it makes me think I have to be boxed in to behave a certain way,” he said.
@godsbutler A Day in My Life Vlog 14! #pretoriatiktok #dailyvlogs #southafricantiktok #kasi #pitori ♬ Cane Sugar – Jharee
“I wouldn't do it in front of the cameras because my kids are watching, but I would love to have a Black Label and smoke a cigarette, but I don't want people to be shocked when they see me smoking,” Gods Butler said.
The shy content creator said he's still not used to being recognised by his followers: “It's nice but it's embarrassing at the same time, so I don't go to parties very often,” he said of the fame that came with the award.
After winning the Emerging Content Creator award, he was hired by MultiChoice to create content for broadcasters on social media.
He says the growth in his career through the awards shows that South Africans are starting to take content creators seriously.
“The fact that we're here and getting recognition for our silly internet videos has inspired us to create even more. The fact that we were able to get a job by starting out on the streets instead of going to school shows that the world now sees content creation as a job just like any other.”
Now read: PHOTOS: Meet the 2023 DStv Content Creator Awards winners