Content creator Azziad Nasenya. PHOTO| COURTESY
Azziad Nasenya didn’t just come from nowhere.
She isn’t a product of overnight success. This is the gospel, according to her longtime manager, actor, and film director Peter Kawa.
The popular content creator and actress, loved and loathed in equal measure, burst into the limelight in 2020.
This was after she did the Utawezana hit song Challenge that went viral on TikTok, propelling the 23-year-old into instant fame.
In the last few years, Azziad has been able to capitalize on her fame making money moves within the creative industry and in the process, building a brand.
Whereas many believe the Utawazena challenge was the key to her success, Kawa is of the contrary opinion.
Also read: Azziad Nasenya: My plans to rise above TikTok fame
Kawa insists Azziad’s journey to stardom began right after she sat for her secondary education and it was only a matter of when and not if she would become a force to reckon with within the creative industry.
“We met immediately after she left high school in 2017 at the National Theatre, she had joined a theatre group. I noticed her talent and requested to manage her.
Initially, She was reluctant; she didn’t understand why anyone would want to represent her. But later on we did a contract which she signed, but we effected it in 2018.
That’s when I started pushing her into opening a YouTube channel, Facebook account and Twitter which she was very reluctant to do.
At the time Instagram and TikTok were the social Apps that were gaining popularity and it’s those that she was more interested in. But I pushed her to be everywhere and in 2020 boom she blew and the rest is history,” Kawa says.
Also read: Azziad Nasenya: Behind the scenes of her TikTok stardom – Exclusive
Kawa mentions two traits that he believes keep favoring Azziad.
“Azziad is a very beautiful soul, she works so hard and understands what her destiny should look like and she tries her very best to work well with everybody around her.
She doesn’t discriminate, treats everybody equally regardless of your status. That’s what works for her. Also she has some sort of favor that follows her, as much as she works hard, she has a ‘ki-smart’ (lucky charm) that follows her.”
Azziad is among the highest-paid content creator in the country, reported to be making over Sh300,000 a month from marketing influencing deals and content creation.
Also read: How I protect my family from online trolls – TikTok star Azziad Nasenya
