Meet Mollage: Witty influencer and digital content creator from Kenya

Her online fans and followers know her by the name Mollage but her real name is Maureen Mutisya.

Mollage is a witty digital creator and a social media influencer who has a way with words and is never shy to express her feelings without worrying about being judged by the social media crowd.

She always captures with her droll one-liners and she is never afraid to air her opinions on various issues, including sex and other hot topical affairs, which have endeared her to her fans and brands.

Swala Nyeti had a sit-down with the collage of beauty and brains in an interview that tackled various aspects of her craft and passions in the digital world. Here’s her story:

Swala Nyeti: What is the history behind the name Mollage and what does it mean?

M: So, I used to have a blog called Mollage. I picked the name because I would blog about everything, just like a collection of art - a collage. And my name is Mo, so - Mollage.

SN: You are a well-known content creator and influencer now. How and why did you get into it?

M: I got into it about six years ago. Well, I didn’t plan to be an influencer - it just happened because I grew my brand and got consistent in my kind of content and brands started approaching me for work.

SN: What did you study and did you ever imagine yourself joining the influencing world? 

M: I have a background in Public Health. I actually never thought of being an influencer.

SN: What are your thoughts on the influencer industry in Kenya?

M: It is growing healthily. In the past Covid year, we’ve seen so much growth, especially on creation and consumption of video content and a rise of fresh young creators. The only way is up for the industry.

SN: What is your experience as a content creator/influencer so far, especially during the pandemic?

M: The pandemic has developed me in terms of showing me what truly matters, what I want to spend my time on, what values of mine I would or would not compromise and who exactly I would like to work with now and in the future. Of course, there’s the negative side of losing contracts, but in this life, you know, you lose some you win some.

SN: What are some of the challenges you've faced as a black/African woman influencer? Talk about your experience with cyber bullying/internet trolls?

M: I’d say, the number one challenge for me is probably within the stakeholders and partners in the industry. To be honest, some working experiences haven’t been all rosy but when all is said and done, the key is to find ways to work and know how to deal with everyone seamlessly. I don’t have much to say about the trolls as they’re really not a big worry of mine because mostly I’m very self-aware and focused on my numbers and my work as a creator.

SN: What do you think is the future of Kenyan digital space especially for content creation? And if any, what are things you'd like to see more of to accommodate diversity?

M: The future is definitely bent towards the sustainable development goals. We’ve seen a rapid rise of creators in niche markets like education, health, tech, construction, food, farming, crypto etc and I must say that’s the only place where we’re headed. And we could definitely use more creators.

SN: Tips for upcoming content creators/influencers especially women?

M: Take yourself seriously. Do the nitty gritties that are supposed to be done in the space. Create values for yourself and your work for example, what do you want to focus your content on and what do you want to avoid? Do you have an influencer profile? How do you evaluate your growth, content and business? I’d say for many of us who started back then and didn’t intentionally start with the intention of being in the business, we didn’t take it so seriously back then as it was just an oops moment. But you learn more as you grow. 2. Keep your originality and consistency.

SN: Favourite Kenyan content creators/influencers? Favourite African content creators/influencers? Favourite international content creators/influencers?

M: Definitely The Roaming Chef (Dennis Ombachi), Emily Mariko, Marques Brownlee, Joy Kendi, Natalie Tewa, Patricia Kihoro.

SN: Which are some of the brands you have worked with and how has the experience been like?

M: Safaricom, Showmax, DKT, VISA, EABL, NCBA and Absa. All these have given me a great experience working with them.

SN: How can people interested in supporting you plug in? 

M: You can support me by retweeting/sharing and liking my work – all sponsored or otherwise. And follow me on @Mollage_ on Twitter, @mollage__ Instagram, Mollage Maureen on Facebook and @Mollage on Tiktok.