What happens when the screen goes dark, the likes stop counting and the cameras are no longer rolling? SABC1’s new original series, Go Viral, takes viewers beyond the posts, trends and viral moments to uncover the real people and stories behind South Africa’s digital personalities.
Premiering on Saturday, 5 September 2026 at 19:30, Go Viral is a 13-part series that profiles South Africans whose lives, careers and opportunities have been shaped by the extraordinary reach of social media.
From comedy, dance and music to education, news, culture and entertainment, the series explores how ordinary moments can become extraordinary opportunities when they connect with audiences online.
But Go Viral is about more than followers, likes and views. It asks the questions that audiences do not always get to see on their feeds: Who were these personalities before the viral moment? What happened when millions of people started watching? And what does it really take to turn digital attention into something meaningful?
In a world where a single post, dance, joke, opinion or everyday moment can reach millions of people almost overnight, social media has fundamentally changed how South Africans create, communicate, build careers and connect with one another.
For some, going viral opens the door to entertainment and commercial opportunities. For others, it becomes a platform to educate, preserve culture, tell stories or give a voice to communities that may not always find representation in traditional media.
Go Viral explores these journeys from the other side of the screen — revealing the creativity, risk, hard work, opportunity, business, culture and personal transformation behind the content audiences have come to know and love.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Episode 1 – Touchline Truth | 5 September 2026
The series opens with Touchline Truth, the Tembisa-born rapper, poet and lyricist whose conscious hip-hop, captivating freestyles and storytelling have earned him a loyal digital following.
But Touchline’s digital identity extends beyond his music. Kasi life, football, South African culture and everyday experiences all find their way into the content he creates, connecting hundreds of thousands of people to his world.
His story demonstrates how social media has transformed the relationship between artists and audiences, allowing musicians to build communities and reach fans directly without relying solely on traditional media or record companies.
Go Viral explores the man behind the music and how digital platforms have become an important part of his creative journey.
Episode 2 – Moshe Ndiki | 12 September 2026
Long before “content creator” became a recognised career path, social media was already opening new doors into the South African entertainment industry.
Moshe Ndiki is one of the personalities whose career demonstrates just how far that journey can travel. Moving between social media and mainstream entertainment, Moshe has built a career supported by an online audience numbering in the millions.
Go Viral steps beyond Moshe’s timeline to explore the relationship between personality, entertainment and the digital audience that helped shape the trajectory of his career.
Episode 3 – Jaxx Amahle | 19 September 2026
After spending years in a job that left her unhappy, Jaxx Amahle found the courage to pursue a different path — one that would ultimately put her in front of hundreds of thousands of young South Africans.
Today, she has carved out a distinctive space in South Africa’s digital current-affairs landscape, using short-form content to unpack news, politics and issues affecting South Africans in a way that speaks directly to younger audiences.
Often described as a “Gen Z news anchor,” Jaxx represents a new generation of media personalities who do not necessarily need a traditional newsroom or television studio to build an audience.
Episode 4 – Nathan Molefe | 26 September 2026
For Nathan Molefe, comedy is found in the everyday experiences that young South Africans know all too well.
His light-hearted and relatable videos demonstrate one of social media’s greatest strengths: taking an ordinary experience and turning it into a moment that connects strangers.
You recognise the situation. You recognise the character. You send it to a friend because it is exactly what you were talking about.
Go Viral moves beyond Nathan’s comedy to discover what goes into building an audience of millions — and what life looks like when being relatable becomes your calling card.
Episode 5 – Nqoh Mhlongo | 3 October 2026
Who says learning cannot be entertaining?
For Nqoh Mhlongo, teaching is anything but ordinary. The Grade 3 teacher has captured South Africans’ attention online through her energetic and interactive approach to education, turning everyday classroom lessons into content that reaches audiences far beyond the school gates.
From using movement and performance, teaching verbs, finding creative ways to explain concepts such as telling time, Nqoh demonstrates how educators can use digital platforms to make learning engaging, accessible and memorable.
Episode 6 – Pistole Gwijo | 10 October 2026
Pistole Gwijo has become known for content centred around iGwijo; the powerful call-and-response tradition of a cappella singing rooted in South African culture.
Through social media, an expression that existed long before TikTok, algorithms and smartphones is finding new audiences on some of the world’s newest platforms.
It is a meeting of two worlds: cultural tradition and digital technology.
Pistole’s story explores how social media can become more than a space for global trends. It can also be a powerful platform for South Africans to celebrate, reinterpret and share their own cultural expressions with new generations.
Episode 7 – Thuli Dlamuka | 17 October 2026
A phone, a sense of humour and stories people recognised — that’s where it began for Thuli Dlamuka.
Creating comedy skits inspired by relatable kasi situations in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, Thuli quickly found an audience that recognised the characters, situations and experiences reflected in her work.
What began as digital comedy grew into something much bigger. As her audience expanded, so did the opportunities around her.
On Go Viral, Thuli takes viewers beyond the comedy to discover what happens when the thing you create for the internet starts changing your life in the real world.
Episode 8 – Goodwill Bongiseni Mtsweni | 24 October 2026
Goodwill Bongiseni Mtsweni began documenting his everyday reality online, sharing his life with his mother and siblings and allowing audiences into a world far removed from the carefully curated lifestyles often associated with social media.
People connected with his authenticity.
As his following grew, so did the community around Goodwill and his family. His journey became one in which people watching his life online began playing a role in changing it offline.
Go Viral explores how authenticity can build an audience — and how an online community can become part of a person’s real-life journey.
Episode 9 – Kananelo Precious Ngaleka | 31 October 2026
Kananelo Precious Ngaleka started where many young creators do at home, having fun, making content and sharing her talent online.
Dance was her language.
Her catchy moves and ability to lead dance challenges began attracting attention online before an opportunity took her journey somewhere she could hardly have imagined.
Kananelo joined Uncle Waffles’ dance team, taking the moves audiences had watched through their phones from the bedroom to live performances and international stages.
On Go Viral, Kananelo takes viewers behind the dances to reveal the work, opportunity and life-changing moments on the other side of the screen.
MORE THAN A VIRAL MOMENT:
At its heart, Go Viral is a celebration of a generation redefining what it means to have an audience.
The series shines a light on South Africans using digital platforms to create careers, build communities, tell stories, preserve culture, educate audiences and open doors that may not have existed before.
By taking viewers beyond the feed, Go Viral asks audiences to look differently at the people behind the screens — and to consider what happens when a moment of digital attention becomes a life-changing opportunity.
‘Go Viral’ airs every Saturday at 19:30, starting 5 September 2026, on SABC1 and SABC Plus.
