Sarah Malinga, the grandmother social media called South Africa's Gogo, dies at 76

Sarah Malinga, the grandmother whose dancing and quick wit made her a familiar face on South African social media as "South Africa's Gogo", has died. She was 76.

Her granddaughter, Karabo Moloi, announced the death in an Instagram post, writing that Malinga had "passed on last night". TimesLIVE reported the news on Sunday afternoon. One other outlet gave her age as 77; this report uses the TimesLIVE figure.

A following built one video at a time

Malinga's public life began in her granddaughter's phone. Moloi posted short videos of her grandmother on TikTok and Instagram: dancing, joking, teasing and holding her own in front of the camera. The clips were simple, family moments, and they found an audience that adopted her as everyone's gogo.

That audience followed her through a harder chapter this year. Malinga had a stroke in July, and the news drew a wave of concern from followers. In the months that followed, Moloi kept sharing her recovery, posting videos of her grandmother laughing and slowly regaining ground.

In her tribute, Moloi thanked the people who had supported the family through that period, especially during Malinga's recovery. She described her grandmother as far more than a grandparent to her, writing: "She was my everything." She asked for prayers and compassion for the family and said she was still coming to terms with the loss.

A late acting debut

Malinga's reach also took her onto a Netflix set. According to TimesLIVE, she made her acting debut in Umthetho, the South African prison drama that premiered on the platform this year, where she was cast as the grandmother of the character Oros.

Umthetho, produced by Mandla N's Black Brain Pictures, is adapted from the Brazilian series Brotherhood. It follows Mbali, a prosecutor played by Nunu Khumalo, who is drawn into a prison syndicate run by her brother Moses, played by Tony Kgoroge.

For a woman in her seventies who came to public attention through her granddaughter's camera, it was an unlikely next step.

The family has not announced funeral or memorial arrangements.