South African social media has been set ablaze by a content theft accusation between two popular TikTok creators. Onezwa Mbola, a rising star known for her “from-the-farm” cooking videos, has accused fellow content creator Nara Smith of stealing her content.

Mbola, in a tearful video announcement, revealed she would be taking a break from the platform. The reason for her departure? A bigger creator, who she did not name but heavily hinted at, was taking her video ideas and recreating them.

This accusation stemmed from a video Mbola posted featuring her recipe for boba tea. Soon after, Mbola noticed a similar boba tea recipe video appear on Nara Smith’s page. Mbola’s fans were quick to jump to her defense, with many pointing out that Nara had previously interacted with Onezwa on her videos, leaving comments expressing her admiration.

The South African online community has become divided over the issue. Onezwa Mbola has garnered significant support, with many sympathizing with the frustration and emotional toll of having her creative content allegedly stolen. They argue that it’s unfair to be labelled a copycat of someone who is seemingly stealing her ideas.

Others, however, downplay the situation entirely. They argue that the “cooking-from-scratch” niche inherently involves a degree of overlap and that both creators are likely drawing inspiration from similar sources.