Stellenbosch University Instagram meme page, SU Just Kidding, recently hit 38 000 followers – surprisingly only fourth on the list of the most followed university dedicated meme pages on Instagram.
SU Just Kidding, which was started in 2012 and then bought by the current admins in 2015, has four members that run the page.
Like many of the admins of these meme pages, they choose to remain anonymous to prevent any affiliation with the page and its content, but say that the page was started “to make students laugh, and be a platform for students.”
One of the top performing memes on SU Just Kidding
The page has grown beyond funny memes, and has now become a go-to marketplace and platform for students to reach other students.
You will find the sale of everything from textbooks to festival tickets, all of which are advertised by the page.
They also have become the prime place to rent a dress, hire a photographer, or advertise your business (for which they charge an advertising cost).
With 92 100 followers, UCT Just Kidding has the largest Instagram following of all the university dedicated meme pages in South Africa. The page began in 2013 by a group of friends – Manenga Mungandi, Hilary Chipunza, Herbert Hill and Vykta Wakandigara.
When asked about their favourite meme posted on the page, the Western Cape rival to SU Just Kidding responded: “Any meme that roasts Stellies.”
One of the more recent pages to join the university meme community is Tuks Just Kidding. The page, started in 2017, was founded by a University of Pretoria student who goes by the alias Mr Chichwadia.
Mr Chichwadia says that Tuks Just Kidding hasn’t gripped the revenue potential of some of the others across the country just yet, with their 17 700 followers, but is growing rapidly.
“The page is run as a hobby solely for the purpose of entertaining students,” says Mr Chichwadia.
Instagram followers of the top performing university meme pages across South Africa, as of 25 August, 2019.
With a following of over 325 000, these meme pages, speak to the increasing usage of Instagram by South Africans – in particular, young people – with around 4 million active users, and people aged 25-34 being the largest group on the platform. *
*Data provided by NapoleonCat