Berthold Kobby Winkler, also known as Wode Maya, is a Ghanaian Vlogger and Freelance YouTuber. Wode Maya was born in Ahenkrofi, Ghana, on March 3, 1994. He left Ghana at the age of 18 after completing his secondary school education and was awarded a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, but he was denied a visa to study in the United Kingdom. He was afterwards accepted into Shenyang Aerospace University. In 2014, he created a YouTube channel where he posted videos on his travels in China. Wode Maya is now one of Africa’s most successful vloggers, with over 800 thousand followers and over 100 million views in 2021. Throughout his YouTube career, he has partnered with some of Africa’s most well-known YouTubers as well as aided small artists in improving insights.
His first video was, ‘What Chinese think of Africans?’
Maya began by uploading a filmed comedy sketch to his YouTube channel, where he then began to share his ideas and experiences in China. He eventually posted a video on Facebook on what Chinese people think about Africans, and the video went viral, getting hundreds of thousands of views. From there, he began publishing numerous videos regarding Chinese attitudes toward Africans, which have become some of his most successful YouTube videos. It appears that a growing number of Chinese grew interested in such films since he was trending in China at the time, and many Chinese were uninformed of Africans and Africa, so he decided to travel to Africa and change the narrative.
His most popular video has over 3.1 Million Views
Next is that he got a popular video with 3.1 Million views. Being a YouTube video maker can be enjoyable, but getting started as a newbie might be challenging; yet, there are content creators who have overcome this challenge. Wode Maya, with high-quality, shareable videos that have racked up millions of viewers after being on YouTube for more than six years. His most successful video is about how Chinese people react when they see Black people. It was uploaded on October 30th, 2016 and was only a few minutes long, yet it had 3.1 million views as of the time of writing. He also has eleven videos on his channel that have received over a million views.
He is a trained Aeronautics Engineer
On number 12, we have another fact that Wode Maya is an Aeronautics Engineer. Contrary to popular assumptions, most Vloggers have difficulty finding work in the corporate sphere. Most vloggers are well-educated but lack formal qualifications, as is the case with Wode Maya, who holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Shenyang Aerospace University, though he is not now employed in this sector. After his assignment in Africa, he intends to return to work as an aeronautical engineer.
Wode Maya is in a relationship with a Kenyan Girl.
Next one is related to his personal life. Almost everyone in Ghana is looking to have a relationship with this amazing Vlogger but we have news for you which you probably don’t know and that is Wode Maya is in a relationship with Miss Trudy, who is also a Kenyan YouTuber.
Meaning of Wode Maya
What does the words Wode maya mean? In Ghana, his films frequently begin with the words AIYA WODE MAYA, which translates as “oh my god” in the dialect of the northeastern Chinese people. His vlog, which began as a welcome train to the African diaspora, has evolved into something much more.
High net worth
With a huge library of fascinating and high-visual video shots in China and other African countries, the popular YouTuber makes an average of $2,000 per month. Wode Maya has an estimated net worth of $450,000, according to sources. His primary source of income is through YouTube. He is one of the wealthiest YouTubers in Ghana
He travelled to China out of shame and frustration
Maya wasn’t born into a rich family, but he was a bright youngster. He received a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom after completing his secondary education, but he was denied a visa after informing all of his neighbors that he would be travelling to the United Kingdom on scholarship. We all know the embarrassment that comes with such disappointment. Wode Maya decided to come to China out of frustration and embarrassment.
He started Africa to the World movement
Maya returned to Africa after graduating from China to create a movement called Africa to the World. His main goal in founding this movement was to shift the narrative about Africa in the Western world, particularly in China. For a long time, Africa was seen as a dark continent with nothing to give. Many people in the West thought Africans were odd people and beasts. Many of these narratives have been modified through the lens of wode Maya’s eyes, and more and more people have begun to appreciate the beauty of Africa. With this campaign, he intended to bring African bloggers together to showcase the beauty of Africa, and now, many African vloggers have joined the movement, favourably portraying Africa.
He paid a part of his university fee with his YouTube’s revenue
In 2021, When the Wode Maya arrived in China, he received financial assistance from his parents for the first six months of his stay, but he had to work to fund the balance of his schooling. He recognized he could sell his videos and make money on his YouTube channel when he first launched his channel. He went all-in on his channel, and the money he made from it helped him pay for a portion of his college. After graduating from university and recognizing that his channel was consistently generating cash, he wanted to step up his game and become a full-time vlogger.
He has travelled to more than 25 countries
On number fifth we have another fact that Wode maya has travelled almost hald of the Africa. With Africa to the World initiative, which aims to change negative stereotypes about Africa by presenting its beauty. He visited over half of the African countries, shooting fantastic documentaries about each one. Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Burundi, South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Gambia are among the nations he has visited. Before the end of 2021, he hopes to have visited all 54 countries on the African continent. When he visits these destinations, he meets up with other content creators from these countries, and the two collaborate to create content that highlights the beauty of these countries while also assisting tiny blogs in gaining recognition.
It took him 2 years to gain 1000 Subscribers on YouTube
He hasn’t always been as successful, with his videos receiving thousands and millions of views. He began with no followers and, like most vloggers, battled to gain views and subscribers. He uploaded his first video to his channel in March 2014, and it took him two years to reach 1,000 subscribers. Even though he wasn’t consistent at the time, he began and waited two years to reach 1,000 subscribers on YouTube. Before 2015, you weren’t particularly well-known in Africa, but most newcomers will take less time to reach the same milestone that Maya accomplished, which took at least two years.
He faced criticism for not having a vlogging degree
Wode Maya studied aeronautical engineering and received a bachelor’s degree in 2017, but he decided to put his engineering career on hold and pursue his goals as a YouTube content maker, which has received a lot of backlashes. He’s been criticized and abused for vlogging, which some deem a waste of time and talent, despite having an expensive engineering degree. However, he said, he will be back in the engineering field once he has done with his mission of Africa.
He has rejected several advertisements
Next is that, he has rejected several advertisements. Most people start creating content on YouTube for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a passion, for others it’s a business, and for still others, it’s simply a way to have their voices heard. The average YouTube content creator works hard to build a brand for themselves in order to monetize outside of YouTube ad revenue. When you achieve a specific number of followers on YouTube, many content makers make money through brand relationships and paid arts. Brands show an interest in collaborating with you. Although he currently has one of Africa’s most popular YouTube channels, he has never directly advertised any product on his channel since its inception, not because he doesn’t get add requests, but because he believes it would defeat the entire purpose of his mission, he says he doesn’t want to distract his followers with ads at the moment.
He bought his mother a car
Lastly, we have the news that Wode maya has bought his mother a car. The famous Ghanaian vlogger chose to display his love for his mother in a more tangible way by giving her a new car. On his YouTube page, he shared a video of his surprise gift to his mother on Christmas of 2019. Wode Maya took his fans back to his hometown of Ahekofi, where he was born and raised, in the video. He talked about his difficult background, including his hardships as a toddler and how he overcomes the odds over time. Maya revealed that he had to forego his pleasure to save money for his mother’s car.
