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A Kenyan Barber Who Wields a Sharpened Shovel Thrives on Africa’s Social Media Craze
Safari Martins uses traditional tools and storytelling to attract nearly 1 million followers on social media, charging premium prices for culturally inspired haircuts.
- In recent years, Safari Martins has used razor-sharp agricultural tools to cut hair in a sparse Kiambu shack, gaining around 1 million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
- He began barbering in high school in 2018 and moved into content creation in 2023 after five years of hands-on work, amid Kenya's social-media users rising from 10.6 million to 15.1 million, DataReportal reported.
- Using cultural elements, Martins pairs a sharpened iron box blessed by village elders with other tools, while a helper films cuts from multiple angles on a smartphone with folk-tale voiceovers.
- Charging up to 1500 Kenyan shillings per cut, Martins commands a premium many clients accept for the experience and exposure, while he says barbers miss out on creator rewards.
- Economically, about 15% of Kenyan creators rely on online work as their main income, the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis said, and monetization tied to Western digital advertising rates can bring sizable windfalls.
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Associated Press News+19 Reposted by 19 other sources
A Kenyan barber who wields a sharpened shovel thrives on Africa's social media craze
Safari Martins may be Kenya’s most famous barber. Known as Chief Safro on social media, where he has millions of followers across accounts, Martins has become famous for cutting hair with unconventional tools, like a sharpened shovel’s edge, and weaving traditional African storytelling into his vide
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A Kenyan barber uses unique tools and social media to highlight his culture
A Kenyan barber uses unique tools and social media to highlight his culture A Kenyan barber uses unique tools and social media to highlight his culture The post A Kenyan barber uses unique tools and social media to highlight his culture appeared first on Social News XYZ.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left13Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution68% Left
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources lean Left
68% Left
L 68%
C 32%
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