Decoding the Mihlali Ndamase hype: Influencer, game-changer, new-age celebrity?

If you're a relatively young South African with a finger on the pulse of pop culture, beauty, and social media trends, then you have heard the name Mihlali Ndamase. 

At some point, the content creator was one of the most talked-about people on social media, which inspired her to change her display name on X (formerly known as Twitter) to Mihlali "Hot Topic" Ndamase. 

These days, the invasive interest in her life has dialled back, allowing her work to once again take centre stage, and this is precisely what her impact did at the recently held Glamour Women of the Year Awards, where Ndamase took home the TRESemmé-sponsored beauty game-changer award.