Somizi Mhlongo, the popular South African presenter, recently found himself at the centre of a social media storm when he was compared to former Gagasi FM employee, Penny Ntuli.
Penny had spoken out about her dissatisfaction with the meagre salary she was offered by the radio station, which sparked outrage among South Africans.
One user on social media pointed out the apparent disparity between Somizi, who has no formal qualifications, earning a reported R150k, and Penny, who has the right qualifications, earning less.
Somizi took to Instagram to respond to the comparison, using a tweet from Mariah Carey to express his feelings. He captioned the post with, “Why do I feel like Mariah here? LOL.”
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While some of Somizi’s followers understood and supported his response, others were not as sympathetic. They questioned whether the intention was to humiliate Penny or Somizi and argued that it’s not just about talent but also about leveraging what you have to get more out of it.
Some defended the comparison, stating that everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up. They believed that Penny would gain enough experience to earn a higher salary in the future.
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However, there were also those who criticized Somizi for entertaining the comparison, especially considering Penny’s younger age and the potential for mockery.
Ultimately, the comparison between Somizi and Penny sparked a heated debate on social media, with mixed reactions from Somizi’s followers.
Some felt that the comparison was unfair and unnecessary, while others believed it highlighted important issues of pay inequality and career progression.
