While the world is debating whether to pay for the proposed paid Twitter blue badge under new owner Elon Musk, some SA celebrities say the prestigious feature might not be worth it.  

Twitter’s verification method has always been a tedious process that’s always been reserved for high-profile people and public figures but that will no longer be the case under Musk’s ownership. The social media company is looking at flipping the script around a verification fee that amounts to $8 (about R146) a month to get a verified badge. 

This feature will not only give users a blue-tick certification but exposure to less online advertising. This move is Musk’s attempt at offering a more expensive and widely adopted service to increase the platform’s income.

The South African-born business mogul plans to launch this new subscription plan as early as Monday next week and he intends to remove verification badges from current holders if they don’t pay for Twitter Blue within 90 days. He, however, shared through a tweet that “There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians”.

Sowetan asked a few local celebrities if they would pay to keep or get the verification badge. 

Actor Vuyo Dabula dismissed the idea of buying a badge. “I really wouldn’t care. I’ve done enough work which speaks for itself. Why would you call someone a public figure and then expect them to pay to be recognised and now he or she has to pay to prove that? I think they have to find a different way to confirm whether one is a public figure or not. My stance right now is that they can keep their badge, I don’t care for it.”

TV and radio broadcaster Sizwe Dhlomo said he probably wouldn’t pay to stay verified. “I wouldn’t care if I lost my badge… in my opinion Elon is just messing around.”

Singer J’Something, who’s been verified since 2009, joined Dabula and Dhlomo on their stance around the topic, stating that he didn’t know about the conversation around the new verification system. He said now that he knew “it wouldn’t worry me if I lost the blue tick”.  

Gomora actor Siyasanga Papu said she didn’t care for the badge. “I don’t see how it [badge] helps me in any way. If one is well-known, the tick doesn’t make much of a difference – not unless we are talking about security. This will help avoid fake accounts being created, which I think would be the only reason I’d pay.”  

Radio personality Moeti Tsiki, affectionately known as Mo Flava, claims that the verification badge helps authenticate whether an account belongs to a specific personality or public figure. “For some reason, being verified matters but before I had the badge I was able to do some work with a few brands – that means having no badge didn’t hinder those brands from working with me,” said Tsiki.  

“So, should I decide to pay the $8, it will solely be based on the look and prestige the badge gives me and not necessarily because my life depends on it.”   

Media personality Dineo Ranaka, who no longer has a Twitter account, explains she would never pay a monthly fee for verification, let alone a Twitter badge. "My relationship with social media is not that deep really, particularly Twitter. I'd only pay a monthly fee for my businesses so that my fans/followers know it's authentic."

Social media personality and reality TV star Lasizwe Dambuza expressed that as tricky as the whole debate sounds, he would pay for a badge just to separate the number of fake accounts from his real ones. "Some people still use my photos to scam other people so the blue tick helps separate the original accounts from the fake ones."