If you think you have to be young to be hip, you couldn’t be more wrong, as Papa Smurf (74), who also goes by his slave-name, Phillip Hotz, has earned himself quite the following from the Cape Town hipster crowd.

The bearded phenom is not a Santa Clause impersonator-turned-party-animal, but rather a hard-working actor making his name in the Mother City. If Hotz isn’t killing it on the d-floor at the trendiest bars on Long Street, you’ll spot him in music videos or as an extra in stage productions, films and TV shows.

And while he may initially appear to be someone on the wrong side of the tracks, Hotz is an avid reader, painter and no longer takes drugs. He basically is Papa Smurf.

No thanks. Drugs get you into trouble, that stuff makes you wake up in strange places, man!

Pearls of wisdom right there.

The love and admiration that Hotz has earned can’t be faltered, as everyone from Cape Town locals to international travelers know who he is, and go out of their way to greet him and give him a big hug.

This isn’t the first time Papa Smurf has found his way onto the interwebz, as he had some impressive cameos while tearing up the Cape Town party scene in 2010.

So if you see a majestic wizard-like man wandering the streets of Cape Town, be sure to say “hey” to Papa.

[source: City Press]