When Nadav Ossendryver was just 15, he created the Kruger Sightings channel on YouTube dedicated to posting videos of interesting things happening in the game park. Now Ossendryver has won an award for his channel which is the most viewed in South Africa.

Kruger Sightings is behind videos such as this video of lions almost attacking visitors which has over 27 million views already. Ossendryver, now 18, was given the Social Media Star of 2014 award at the launch of the South African Social Media Landscape 2015 report by Fuseware and World Wide Worx yesterday.

While Ossendryver runs Kruger Sightings, content is sourced from and submitted by many visitors who go to the park and capture footage of wildlife.

Kruger Sightings also has a website and dedicated Android and iOS apps where visitors can share their videos.

According to the report, Kruger Sightings had over 75 million views by the end of August 2014 and passed 80 million views this week.

“Ossendryver is an example to big brand marketers of how to build a community through compelling content, said Arthur Goldstuck, managing director at World Wide Worx. “It also proves that one individual with a powerful vision can achieve what even the biggest marketing budgets cannot.”

“People are drawn to passion,” said Ossendryver. “If you make videos on topics you love, those people will watch. I have always been in love with wildlife and have wanted to share that love through the means of sharing people’s experiences.”

YouTube has grown to be the most popular social media after Facebook in South Africa, reaching 7.2 million active users this year.

[Main image – Facebook]