Popular and Adorable SuzelleDIY

It doesn’t take long to figure out what makes “Suzelle” popular and adorable in her own quirky way. Julia Anastasopoulos is the South African artist and actress behind the main character of SuzelleDIY, a bitesize DIY webseries where audiences learn a lot about practical things like how to make braai and biltong, South Africa’s iconic foods, or how to make a cinderblock bench and greenhouse or vertical garden (or as Suzelle sings to it, her wonderwall).

Her Afrikaans accent, penchant for leopard print, and hard-to-miss beehive of a hairdo – all topped with an even harder-to-ignore floral headpiece –  make Suzelle a standout African YouTube superstar.  Her silent friend/sidekick Marianne, who sometimes upstages her in her tutorials, is the perfect foil to her colorful and chatty personality. As Suzelle herself says, “D-I-Y? Because anybody can.“ (Then looks at Marianne at the word anybody.)

Beyond hacks and how-tos, Suzelle also shares her international travels (and never goes without those over-the-top hair accessory, even in the middle of a safari), and occasionally invites fellow South Africans for a special appearance. Jan Hendrik, the first South African chef to have received a Michelin star, appeared on one of her episodes.

SuzelleDIY was launched in May 2014, and has already gained a substantial following of 134,000 subscribers and 25 million views to date.