Khethokuhle ‘Kay Yarms’ Ngonyama didn’t plan to become one of South Africa’s most influential beauty voices. Like most good stories, hers started with discomfort – a quiet knowing that a degree in Accounting Science wasn’t going to be enough. So she left Wits before finishing her qualification, traded balance sheets for brushes and started uploading makeup videos that would eventually shape an entire generation of South African beauty enthusiasts.
That first act of courage would become the blueprint for everything that followed.
“I remember feeling so out of place studying accounting,” she’s said before. “I knew deep down I wanted to be creative, to build something of my own, I just didn’t know how yet.”
What she did know was that she could do makeup and she understood people. In 2017, when the local influencer scene was still finding its feet, she began posting her looks on Instagram and YouTube – simple, authentic, no filters or grand strategy. But the honesty stuck. Within a few years, Kay Yarms wasn’t just a beauty influencer. She was the influencer – and a growing entrepreneur behind one of the country’s fastest-rising personal brands.
Her early content proved something bigger: South African women didn’t just want imported trends. They wanted to see makeup on brown skin, hear beauty tips in familiar accents and get real talk about self-image and identity. That authenticity built her following and later, her business.
Kay’s work has since attracted top-tier collaborations with brands like Nivea, Yardley, Red Bull and Scarlet Hill, where her limited-edition collection sold out within 24 hours. She’s been named Influencer of the Year at the South African Social Media Awards and featured in Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 class of 2023 – recognition she calls “humbling and affirming.”
But behind the milestones sits a more complex reality: the shift from content creation to entrepreneurship. “People think it’s easy because you have followers, but building a business is a whole different challenge,” she’s said. That challenge took form in SAXX Beauty, her Cape Town-based salon – a sleek, private space designed to bring the digital community she built into real life.
“You can’t turn off when you’re your own business,” she’s shared. “But I try to give myself grace and remember that I built this life on my terms.”
For Kay, influence isn’t about numbers anymore. It’s about trust. “I’ve learnt that if you’re not honest with your audience, it shows. People can feel when something isn’t genuine.” That belief has become her quiet north star and the reason her career has lasted longer than most viral moments.
The broader industry is catching up to that truth. As Africa’s influencer market edges toward a projected $240+ million in 2025, brands are learning that connection trumps curation. Followers are more discerning, creators are more business-minded, and authenticity is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s the whole game.
Kay’s journey is proof. A decision made from discomfort turned into a decade-long career that now spans beauty, business and mentorship. “You don’t have to have it all figured out,” she’s said. “You just need to be brave enough to start.”
