Jason Van Tonder

South Africa’s Jason van Tonder (@jason_on_comms) has become a household name in the TikTok world. The entertainer first started on the app as a way to pass the time while being stuck on a cruise during the COVID-19 outbreak. Less than half a year later, his account has grown to have more than 1.2 million followers and a whopping 27.5 million total likes. He often posts his signature POV’s using TikTok’s trending sounds and songs. And through this hard work, creativity, and talent, van Tonder now stands as one of the figureheads of a new content house, The Viral House ZA. We recently spoke with Jason about how he developed his unique video style, his favorite hobbies, and more!

Did you have any specific plans or ideas when you joined TikTok?

My main reason for joining TikTok was to beat the boredom while being stuck on a cruise ship during the COVID-19 pandemic. It kept my head on my shoulders. 

How did you start making POV's? What drew you to it? 

At first I had no idea what it was. However, when more and more POV's started to pop up on my for you page, it caught my attention. I realized it was a great opportunity to incorporate my acting into a TikTok video.

When was the moment that you realized you were "TikTok famous"?

The moment I received my first fan-art and fanpage. I was completely flabbergasted and totally honored. 

You currently have 1.1 million followers on TikTok. Can you tell us about the day that you hit 1 million?

I woke up to a bunch of messages from my TikTok friends congratulating me on hitting one mil. I honestly couldn't believe it and had to see it for myself. What an amazing and blessed feeling to have over a million followers watching my videos, and many more enjoying them.

Whose a fellow TikToker that you'd love to collab with? 

I've grown so close with a bunch of other TikTokers and would love to collab with them all. But if I'd had to choose, it'd be FeroFero, my first TikTok mate.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to was "Wildflower" by 5 Seconds of Summer. 

Favorite non-social media activities?

I absolutely love going for hikes and being in nature. Also being with my family and friends, photography and going for a dive are some of my favorite activities.

Do you plan on expanding your platform into a career on social media? 

Yes, I'd love to expand it into a career on social media and beyond. It has been a live long dream of mine to be scouted and or casted for my acting.