The internet is such a huge world of exciting things, job opportunities, entertainment etc that so many people especially creatives are reaping big from. Adding onto the list of young people that aren’t practicing the “typical professions” is Nyafono. Commonly going by Nyaf girl, Margaret Nyafono is doing really well on the social media scene for a 24 year old. Like many pulsers out there, she has the internet by its horns as it seems to be the in thing for a lot of millennials now.

The Makerere university graduate and Gayaza High School old girl; with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Electrical Engineering is a freelancer defying the odds of conventional employment. She is an influencer and content creator who when not doing any of these is a Project manager at Tech junction limited, an IT solutions company. Guess that’s a side of her that you did not know.

“I’m such a nerd. Most people see the pretty pictures, posts and enjoyments but I’m the biggest geek EVER! I want to do a masters degree in something about economics or law as soon as universities open up again.” She said while confirming our suspicions, a geek!

When asked if social media has played a part in her journey as a freelancer, she said;

“Social media has helped me get more exposure and increase my audience which is very important when you’re an influencer. When people see your opinions and organic content, they are drawn to you and brands recognize that too.”

Among the many things that Nyaf girl is grateful for is the presence of social media because without it, she would not have learnt about the existence of Only Bells and Patricia Bright, 2 of whom are influencers in the United Kingdom and draws inspiration from due to their big personalities and relatability. “I hope to reach their level someday” she added with a grin on her face.

“I’m grateful for all the people I have met who have turned into friends. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve gotten to grow and develop as a person and an influencer through meaningful dialogue and reading opinions. I’m mostly grateful for the followers who always engage with my posts & tweets & videos. I love them.” She added.

The lover of fitness, cooking, cleaning/organizing, going to the cinema and taking  herself out on dates started influencing in 2018 after she got her first gig then. Onto the journey of content creation, she has only started that this year, an experience that has been of great learning to her.

Like any other person doing business, Nyaf girl has faced a number of challenges in this line of work.

“The pandemic has reduced the number of gigs that are available so you have to be really good at what you do to get gigs. The influencer market in Uganda is still young with most business owners focusing on number of followers you have rather than your niche. This is different in countries like South Africa and the UK.” She said

“ So when an influencer wants to niche down their content they may actually be disadvantaging themselves. The cost of internet bundles is also high for someone who works online most of the time.”  She added.

“Anyone who wants to become an influencer should invest in honesty, uniqueness and building a reputable personal brand. Don’t try to copy anyone, interact with other influencers and make good content that will make people notice you.” She advised pulsers who would want to do what she does.

Currently, Nyafono is doing a fun project on her Instagram reels called healthy lifestyle struggles where she shares with people the different struggles she goes through while trying to lead a healthier lifestyle of either eating right and working out.

Load yourself a pulse data bundle by dialing *157#, enjoy friendly data bundles and follow her on her social media. Twitter, Instagram and YouTube @nyaf_gurl