"She Hasn't Changed": Nonhle Thema Claims She Introduced Twitter to South Africa in Radio Chat
- Former Channel O host Nonhle Thema made a bold claim during a live interview with Thando Thabethe on 94.7
- Thema also revealed her family was among the first Black families to live in upscale Bryanston after moving there in 1990
- South Africans flooded social media with memes and jokes about Nonhle's bold claims after the interview aired
Former Channel O it-girl Nonhle Thema sat down with Thando Thabethe on 94.7 on 17 July 2026. She made a claim that sent the internet into a spin: she introduced Twitter to South Africa.
Source: Instagram
During the interview, Thema told Thabethe that her early, often explosive presence on the platform around 2011 was what put Twitter on the map for South Africans. She also shared that her family was one of the first Black families to settle in the upscale Johannesburg suburb of Bryanston after moving there in 1990. Listeners were not quite ready for either claim.
Mzansi reacts to Nonhle Thema's claims
Social media lit up almost immediately. Some drew comparisons to Soulja Boy, the American rapper who famously claimed to have invented everything from the internet to modern rap. Others gave Thema a reluctant nod, pointing out that her fiery 2011 Twitter rants did, in fact, pull many curious South Africans onto the platform. Whether that counts as an introduction is another conversation entirely. Watch the interview that got Mzansi talking:
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SA discusses Nonhle Thema
Much of the online chatter also turned to Thabethe, with many praising her for keeping her composure throughout. Thema has remained a public figure in recent years, largely through a shift towards spirituality after a period of very public personal struggles. Some viewers felt that her faith journey was genuine growth, while others were less convinced. Read the comments below:
@Thumza_ wrote:
"I feel like Thando held back a huge laugh when she mentioned the twitter thing 😂😂😂"
@thandomipa said:
"Nonhle please, you didn't introduce SA to twitter 😭"
@ujustinwenu commented:
"Nah she hasn't changed. I was listening to this yesterday, she's still the arrogant girl behind a Christianity facade. She be saying a bunch of stuff 😂😂😂"
@Nonhlan23097084 said:
"Joooo respect @Thando_Thabethe's emotional intelligence hle bathong! Has Nonhle Thema always been like this? Dear God what did i just watch?"
@_TumiMS wrote:
"This is cringe man. Kante don't people outgrow this? My family is the first to have DStv in the township mentality, ekare she is 9 🫣"
@Dane_DSmith shared:
"Nonhle is hiding behind Christianity instead of standing tens toes down and saying 'yes I was that girl, and the fame went to my head and everyone needed to know their place' one thing is I will say, Nonhle introduced me to 'Sit Down'!"
Mzansi revisits Nonhle Thema's dramatic downfall
Briefly News previously reported that throwback pictures of Nonhle Thema rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in Hollywood have sent Mzansi down memory lane, reigniting conversations about one of the most dramatic rises and falls in South African entertainment history. The images, which originally circulated during her Channel O, O-Access era, show her alongside the likes of Snoop Dogg, The Game, Bow Wow, Omarion and singer Mario.
The photos resurfaced on 14 July 2026, reshared by X (formerly Twitter) user IrisJulianne, who paired them with a cheeky caption that nodded to Thema's infamous reputation from that period.
The reference was hard to miss for anyone who lived through the Mzansi pop culture moment. Back in 2011, Thema became the subject of national conversation after a now-legendary Twitter meltdown in which she openly boasted about her wealth and lifestyle while taking shots at fellow celebrities.
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Source: Briefly News
