The hustler, the dancer, the dreamer

From Soweto streets to global screens, Mr NT blends hustle, heart and heritage — turning dance into a vehicle for opportunity, community and impact

- S'bo Gyre

When you see Nkosinathi ‘Mr NT’ Ngwenya — dreads peeking out from under his funky cap, fresh sneakers and the whole outfit dialled in — you might just think he’s all about the latest trends.

I mean, the fella born in Soweto can be firmly described as a TikTok star with his 1.4 million followers. His work has caught the attention of US rapper Snoop Dogg, thanks to his trending dance videos.

However, there is more to the dancer than meets the eye.

Mr NT is the real deal, blending a powerful business mind with serious cultural authenticity that runs deeper than his style. And as of recently, he is a SuperSport Real World Champion - an initiative that celebrates ordinary South Africans doing extraordinary things to positively impact their community through sport and sport adjacent activities.

After spending a few hours with him on a Tuesday afternoon at Glenanda Village Shopping Centre in Johannesburg south, I was left with an appreciation that Mr NT is an idealist with a practical outlook on life.

"I'm a hustler dawg,” Mr NT avers as we unwind at Pizza Del Forno.

He is a hustler in a non-performative way. He uses what he has to get to his destination.

Ngwenya has worked as a kitchen manager at a Lebanese restaurant, he toiled as a character performer at Gold Reef City, has sold furniture on Facebook and learnt how to use the camera - all this as a way of making money when his passion wasn’t paying the bills.

During the COVID pandemic, when dance gigs had dried up, he took the little money he had and invested in selling furniture.

“I had to find ways of making money while doing my socials. I didn’t do TikTok [videos] expecting money, I’m doing TikTok because I love dance. But in real life, I need to make money because I have two kids now.”

The dancer saw an opportunity in using TikTok as a way of showcasing his dance moves.