South African beauty creator and entrepreneur Kay Yarms, real name Khethokuhle Ngonyama, has announced that she is expecting her first child.
The influencer shared the news with her followers in a heartfelt pregnancy announcement, reflecting on a dream that she says has always been at the heart of what she wanted for her life.
“And if you would’ve ever asked me what I truly wanted to be, this would’ve always been the answer,” she wrote alongside the announcement.
The reveal marks a deeply personal milestone for the 32-year-old, who has spent years allowing her audience into different chapters of her life while maintaining a degree of privacy around her personal relationships.
From makeup artist to digital powerhouse
Born and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Ngonyama first made her name through makeup tutorials, beauty tips and lifestyle content.
Her online career began gaining momentum around 2018, when beauty content was still developing into the major digital industry it is today. What began as a passion for makeup eventually became a full-time career, with Yarms moving away from private makeup appointments to focus on educating and entertaining a growing online audience.
Her YouTube platform has since grown into one of the most recognisable South African beauty channels, with her content expanding beyond makeup to include fashion, travel, fitness, relationships and everyday lifestyle vlogs.
She has also built a reputation for being selective about what she shares, often balancing highly visible career moments with a more private personal life.
Building a beauty business
Yarms has successfully turned her influence into a business empire, moving beyond content creation and into entrepreneurship.
She is the founder of SAXX Beauty and has worked with major brands including NIVEA, Maybelline, Red Bull, Yardley and Scarlet Hill. Her collaboration with Scarlet Hill, launched through Mr Price, became one of her notable beauty-industry milestones.
In 2024, she also expanded her beauty footprint with the opening of her salon in Cape Town, following her move from Johannesburg.
Yarms has spoken openly about how relocating to Cape Town forced her to rediscover herself and grow both personally and creatively.
Forbes recognition and industry influence
Her influence has also been recognised beyond social media.
In 2023, Yarms was named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 class, cementing her position among a generation of young African creatives and entrepreneurs making an impact in their respective industries.
That same year, she won Social Media Influencer of the Year at the South African Social Media Awards.
Her career has therefore evolved from simply being a beauty influencer into that of a content creator, entrepreneur, beauty professional and brand collaborator.
Now, motherhood
The pregnancy announcement introduces perhaps her most significant chapter yet.
For someone whose career has been built around documenting beauty, lifestyle and personal growth, the arrival of her first child represents a major shift in the story she shares with her audience.
Her words – “this would’ve always been the answer” – suggest that beneath the beauty campaigns, business ventures and digital success has always been another dream: becoming a mother.
