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Despite ex-DA member Mmusi Maimane’s falling out with various political parties in 2019, the young leader still has his sights firmly set on woo-ing young South Africans ahead of the 2024 elections.

Earlier this year Maimane was unmasked as one of the contestants on The Masked Singer SA and now he continues to dip his toes into SA’s youth culture by being featured on local TikTok superstar Dan Corder AKA ‘Mr Beanie’s new podcast, ‘The Issue With Dan Corder’.

Now, I was fortunate enough to attend university with Mr Beanie himself, and it’s been exciting to watch the young creative radio presenter and media creator go from strength to strength. From starting his days working the back-end of University of Cape Town’s radio station, to now presenting the breakfast show on 5FM and racking up millions of views for his nuanced political takes on TikTok, Corder is undoubtedly one of the chosen spokespeople for the next generation of South Africans.

It’s a smart move by Maimane to embrace the TikTok generation’s approach to political engagement, amidst public campaigning for his intriguing new party Build One South Africa (BOSA).

Far from asking vapid questions, Corder impressed fans with the intense but friendly grilling he gave Maimane in the latest interview.

The candid nature of the sit-down is a refreshing change in the kakpraat we see time and time again from South Africa’s political leaders, usually through affiliated media houses that, let’s be honest, aren’t all that ‘neutral’.

Mr Beanie showed no skaam by asking Maimane the questions that we regular Saffas are dying to hear, including inquiries surrounding the possibilities of BOSA forming coalitions with other parties, how BOSA’s ‘community leader’ style politics would actually work, and whether Maimane would feel comfortable working alongside those who have used him as a scapegoat in the past (here’s looking at you, DA).

Could Mr Beanie be the new face of political journalism we need? He clearly knows his stuff, showing off a deep knowledge of SA’s political systems during the length of the interview. Plus, the guy has a sense of humour, which our country needs.

Props to Maimane too for leaning into Corder’s suggestion of wearing a “Kaizer Chiefs colour beanie” at the start of the clip. Not only did the BOSA leader join in on the chuckles regarding Mr Beanie’s namesake, but he also brought Corder a snuggly hat gift to add to his collection, emblazoned with ‘VOTE’ across the top.

As we get tired of the same old lies from many of our local politicians, Maimane and Corder’s interview bodes well for the future.

South African viewers found the 21-minute chat between the two so captivating that many have requested longer interviews with more politicians. One commenter said,”Would love to see the full version,” while another stated, “Love to see it. Mara 20 mins is short mntase“.

No matter who you decide to vote for, it’s candid convos like this that could help us move away from all the hot air and into a refreshing breeze where we feel more confident in our political choices.

[source:youtube/TheIssueWithDanCorder]