Pam the Paddock Princess: SA Content Creator Steers More Women Into F1
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- Pamela Mtanga is a multimedia personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist who featured in Briefly News' Young Money Makers project in 2025
- Mtanga has over 313 000 followers on Instagram and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world
- This year, she was named as one of Briefly News' Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring, for growing a female audience in Formula 1 through her content as "Pam the Paddock Princess"
- She spoke to Briefly News about how Lewis Hamilton drew her into the sport, her unforgettable trip to the Austrian Grand Prix, and what she wants to see change for women in motorsport
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Pamela Mtanga did not grow up dreaming of Formula 1. She grew up loving numbers, research and figuring out how things work. It turns out that's exactly what the sport needed from her.
Originally from the Eastern Cape and shaped by her years in Gqeberha and Johannesburg, Mtanga has built a name for herself as a multimedia personality, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Now she can add another title to that list. Briefly News has named her one of its Women of Wonder 2026, honouring her role in growing a female audience for Formula 1 in South Africa.
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From fashion to the fast lane
Mtanga started as a maths and science student before switching into creative arts, and she told Briefly News that shift left something missing.
"I do miss the analytical thinking and the analytical research of trying to get into something," she said.
Formula 1 filled that gap, and Lewis Hamilton was her way in. Can we blame her? Sir Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers in history, with the titles to prove it. He's also known as one of the paddock's biggest fashion icons. Extra points for the iconic No. 44 driver, who has been a vocal supporter of bringing Formula 1 back to Africa.
"He has managed to really create a name for himself outside of the sport. I think across sports in general, he's the one figure for me who has been able to make it cool, make it fashion, make it about charity, just an all-around brand," Mtanga said.
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She started watching religiously and found the analytical itch scratched again. Reading up on strategy, technology and the inner workings of the sport brought back a love of information she hadn't felt since her engineering days.
"I love consuming information that really puts me in a different realm, where I can learn something new and research something different," she said.
Two and a half years ago, Pamela decided to start creating content about F1. At the time, the space was mostly male creators and one other woman making memes.
Mtanga spotted an opportunity to create Formula 1 content online and make a name for herself, so she took it. Just seven months later, she landed her first Formula 1 trip.
Austria and the birth of Pam the Paddock Princess
Mtanga's trip to the Austrian Grand Prix last year, courtesy of Red Bull, turned into one of the defining moments of her career. She met drivers including Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, and crossed paths with then Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
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The Tsunoda meeting stuck with her most.
"We were actually able to sit down with him, have a conversation. It was more than just surface level: there's a driver, take a picture and leave. That is an experience I hold dear to my heart, and it was quite life-changing," she said.
She also got close enough to watch Max Verstappen, then world champion, fielding a swarm of interview requests from major broadcasters.
Walking the paddock in a twirly dress, Mtanga found herself catching the same photographers who usually chase Hamilton's outfits.
That trip is where Pam the Paddock Princess was born, a persona built around capturing driver interviews, paddock fashion and the fan stories that rarely make it to camera.
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How is Formula 1 becoming more accessible?
Mtanga credits the sport's growing female fanbase to a deliberate shift by Liberty Media, which bought Formula 1 with a mandate to make it more commercial and accessible.
The media personality added it is not this elite sport that is only open to a certain type of person anymore.
She points to Drive to Survive and F1 Academy as major drivers of that change, along with visible figures like F1 Academy CEO and former racing driver Susie Wolff, drivers Bianca Bustamante and Alba, and broadcaster and F1 brand ambassador Naomi Schiff.
She also names creator Bella James as a key inspiration, someone who blends deep knowledge of the sport with humour.
"It really goes to show that Formula 1 doesn't have to be this big engineering, die-hard fan, only certain people can get into it," she said.
For Mtanga, representation goes beyond the cars and into the paddock's fashion, from F1 WAGs like Alexandra Saint Mleux and Lily Muni He to newer entrants like Kim Kardashian.
"It's really important that representation is not only about colour but also female in sport in general, and those people should be respected for their contribution," she said.
Take a look at Mtanga's take on F1's commercialisation in the video below:
What role can African women play in F1?
Mtanga is watching F1 Academy closely and expects it to eventually produce a female driver competing at the top level, saying it's only a matter of time.
She also wants to hear more women in the commentary box.
"Imagine a female saying, and it's lights out at the Austrian Grand Prix. It could be a game-changer," Mtanga said.
Her third wish is closer to home: more African women given the platform to analyse races, not just cover the lifestyle side of the sport.
Mtanga believes Africans can bring more than memes and fashion coverage to the sport; they can break down the racing itself, and she wants to see more of that from the continent.
Mtanga isn't waiting for a seat at the table to be handed to her. Her advice to other women eyeing a place in motorsport, or any sport, is simple.
"You don't have to be a racing driver or a soccer player as a female in order for you to have a voice in the sport. If you are sitting at home and you have a passion for the sport, pick up your camera. You don't have to have a major platform. The right audience, the right entities, and the right platforms will find you along the way," she said.
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3 More Briefly News Women of Wonder 2026
- Briefly News earlier reported on Emma-Rose Dowling, the 15-year-old who made history when she became the first South African girl selected for the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive Programme.
- Stacey-Lee May, who found spinning as a bullied teenager in Johannesburg after her father hoped it would build her confidence, is 12 years later the only female Monster Energy athlete on the continent.
- Tembisa-born Simphiwe Mohlahlo has become the only Black female driver competing in both the Investchem MSA4 Championship and with the Formula Libre Gauteng team, while working as a professional makeup artist.
This feature forms part of Women of Wonder 2026: Steering the Story in SA Motoring, proudly sponsored by Cars.co.za. As a proudly South African brand, Cars.co.za is committed to celebrating and empowering the women shaping the future of motoring in South Africa.
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Source: Briefly News
