Hustler Biyela finally lands on fabulous life

Maskandi singer, actor and social media influencer Quality Biyela is living his dream.

Biyela, who is regarded as isikhothane (a phenomenon in which individuals brag about an expensive lifestyle) because of his expensive fashion taste, always wanted to be famous since he was young. Though he did not know how to achieve fame, he eventually got what he wanted. Over the years, his popularity has increased and last year in December he made it to the list of most trended people on TikTok.

Biyela boasts 4-millon followers on TikTok, 191,000 on Instagram and 403,000 on Facebook.

The KwaZulu-Natal-born socialite sets himself apart on the social media streets with his swag and always bragging about his expensive lifestyle. Biyela shares everything he does on social media, from buying clothes, the food he eats, famous people he meets and where he parties. Though a lot of people believe that his showing off is excessive, Biyela says he is only sharing the things he can afford to buy.

“I always knew that I wanted to be famous but I did not know how to achieve that. When I started posting positive videos on Facebook, still then I did not have a plan but people loved them. Now that I have a huge following I’m only realising now that this is exactly what I always wanted to do. I am at peace with it but it took me years to get where I am today. It is a dream come true to live the life that I am living.

“I know people have names for what I do. I believe I am a normal young man who wants to inspire others. I am followed by young people because I live a life that youth of today wish to live, which is dressing stylish and living a fancy life. I always share the clothes I buy and booze not to come across as bragging. I am sharing because I also never thought I could afford the things I have. So people who see my videos and who cannot afford what I have always say I am bragging, which I’m not. I don’t know your life struggles, so you cannot judge me for posting.”

Speaking to Time Out, Biyela, who comes across as arrogant in his videos, is actually a polite guy. He regards himself as a hustler. As much as he is famous, he knows that fame is temporary. That is why he has ventured into acting and singing and has appeared on eHostela on Mzansi Magic. 

He is also a businessman who owns a brand called Quality Biyela. In December he released an album titled Life is Magic.

“Living the life I live puts me under pressure because people don’t expect me to fail. I am a role model to many young people and I cannot fail. In my area I am the first one to take this route. When everyone was going to university I decided that I am going to earn a living through popularity. I have reached a point where I’ve done everything that I wished to do when I was younger.”

Biyela grew up in Ulundi and, like most village boys, he herded cows and did Zulu traditional dance. When he was at high school, he fell in love with the notion of being famous. The singer realised that the typical 9-5 job would never work for him. When he arrived in Durban in 2015, he started posting videos talking about interesting topics. In 2019 he moved to Johannesburg, where his career path grew.