Nairobi News

Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa lead the rest of Africa with the number of celebrities with the most following on Instagram, research by Nairobi News shows.

This is in part due to the large population in these countries alongside easy accessibility to the internet.

Here are the most followed persons on the social media app, which is increasingly becoming a tool for communication and business.

1. Mohammed Salah – The Egyptian footballer has 50.6 million followers. The 29-year-old plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. He is popularly known as Mo Salah on the platform.

2. Davido – Born David Adedeji Adeleke, Davido is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has 24.1 million followers on the social media platform. The 29-year-old blends traditional African elements with global mainstream pop.

3. Tamer Hosny – The Egyptian national is an actor, singer, composer, director, and songwriter. The 44-year-old is the first Arab artist to get his footprint in Chinese theater, Hollywood, and has been awarded in the Guinness World Records. He has 22.3 million followers.

4. Mohamed Ramadan – The Egyptian actor, singer, rapper, dancer and producer has 20.2 million followers. The 34-year-old began acting during school and rose up the ranks.

5. Yasmine Sabri – The 34-year-old Egyptian actress has 19 million followers. Her debut in the television industry was in 2013 when she played several supporting roles.

6. Mustafa Hosny – The Egyptian televangelist and Islamic preacher has 18 million followers on the app. The 44-year-old delivers sermons and lectures worldwide and currently presents more than 13 programs on TV and radio channels.

7. Ab De Villiers – Born Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a former South African international cricketer. The 38-year-old has 17.8 million followers and was named the ICC ODI player of the year three times during his 15-year international career.

8. Candice Swanepoel – The South-African model has 17.5 million followers. Known for her work with Victoria’s Secret, Candice Susan Swanepoel became the brand’s Angel in 2010. In 2016, she was listed 8th on the Forbes top-earning models.

9. Hannah El Zahed – The Egyptian actress has 17.4 million followers. The 28-year-old made her acting debut in 2003.

10. Yemi Alade – The Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress, and activist has 16.8 million followers. Born Yemi Eberechi Alade, the 33-year-old has gained prominence in the music industry and is considered one of the biggest artists in Africa. She is the first female to hit 100 million views for a single video on YouTube after Davido.

With these Africans topping the list, Diamond Platnumz represents East Africa at number 16 with 14.6 million followers. The Tanzanian bongo flava artist born Naseeb Abdul Juma had his breakthrough from his single Kamwambie in 2010.