Who is Siyabunny? Siyabunny, also written Siya Bunny, is the online name of Siyanda Bani, a South African fashion and travel content creator. In February 2025 she won Fashion Creator of the Year at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa in Johannesburg, and her TikTok success took her to Paris Fashion Week.
Quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Real name | Siyanda Bani, known as Siya Bani (Business Report) |
| Known for | Fashion and travel content (Wanted) |
| Big award | Fashion Creator of the Year, TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa, 8 February 2025 (Glamour SA) |
| Fashion week | Paris Fashion Week, through her TikTok success (TikTok Newsroom) |
| Brand work | Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami launches, Paris and Rosebank, 2023 (Glamour SA) |
Siyabunny or Siyanda Bani: what’s in the name?
Online, she is Siyabunny. In print, she is Siyanda Bani, or Siya Bani for short, as both Wanted and Business Report call her. If you have searched “Siya Bunny TikTok” and “Siyanda Bani” and wondered whether they are the same woman, they are.
How did Siya Bunny win Fashion Creator of the Year?
On 8 February 2025, at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa held at the Galleria in Johannesburg, she was named Fashion Creator of the Year, Glamour SA reported. It is a category decided in a crowded field, which makes the win a clear marker of how far her styling content travels.
Her content is not just outfit reveals. In a profile on the TikTok Newsroom, she explained her approach: “I provide context for where I’m going and why I choose to style an outfit in a particular way.” That is what separates a stylist’s eye from a haul video. Viewers learn the reasoning, not just the result.
From TikTok to Paris Fashion Week
TikTok’s own newsroom credits her platform success with getting her to Paris Fashion Week (TikTok Newsroom). Paris was not new territory by then. In 2023 she attended the global launch of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami in the city, according to Glamour SA, before joining the South African launch in Rosebank, where chef Wandile Mabaso served a five-course pairing (Wanted).
Wigs for a similar look
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Siyabunny’s advice for creators
Two lines from her TikTok Newsroom interview are worth keeping if you create anything for an audience:
“Your niche must be linked to your passion…”
“Embrace the cringe…”
The first is about staying power: content you actually care about is content you can keep making. The second is about getting started. Most people never post because the first attempts feel awkward. Her advice is to accept that and post anyway.
Both ideas apply well beyond TikTok. Whether you are a stylist sharing your first install videos, a makeup artist building a portfolio or a small brand finding its voice, the work that lasts usually comes from something you genuinely love, shared before it feels polished enough.
Siyabunny’s glam: high shine, done by The Penthouse
On Instagram, Siya shared a post captioned “About last night… High Shine Glitz & Glam”, wearing a dress by H&M and crediting “Hair & makeup: @thepenthousebeautystudio”. She has also tagged the studio in an ad post about “the anticipated launch of the @johnniewalkerafrica Blue Label…” on her profile.
“High shine” is a useful brief to borrow. In hair terms, it means reflective, healthy-looking lengths that catch the light when you move, rather than a matte or textured finish. Here is how our stylists usually build that kind of finish.
How to get a high-shine hair finish
- Start with hair that can shine. Hair with its cuticle intact and running in one direction reflects light more evenly. That is why single donor raw hair is often chosen for sleek styles. Our explainer on Vietnamese raw hair covers why.
- Smooth before you shine. A careful blow-dry and a flat iron pass, with heat protection, closes the surface so light bounces off.
- Finish lightly. A few drops of serum on the mid-lengths and ends. Keep it off the roots and lace.
- Keep the hairline clean. A crisp, customised hairline lets the shine read as polish, not as product.
For a deeper dive into that sleek, reflective look, see our guide to bone straight hair.
Units that suit a high-shine finish
- Zara 24″, R17,400: sleek straight single donor Vietnamese raw hair with a glass-like shine, fully glueless on 13×6 transparent lace. With PayFlex, 4 × R4,350.
- Zendeya 20″, R5,200: glossy straight human hair on 13×4 HD lace, and our most-clicked wig on Google Shopping. Pre-order units deliver in 14–27 working days. With PayFlex, 4 × R1,300.
Three styling lessons to borrow from Siya Bunny
Her point about giving “context for where I’m going” applies to hair as much as clothes. Before you choose a look, ask the questions a stylist would.
1. Dress the hair for the room
A rooftop launch, a garden wedding and a boardroom all ask for different finishes. Sleek and glossy reads as polished evening glam; soft waves read as relaxed daytime. Decide on the setting first, then the style.
2. Treat hair and outfit as one look
Her “About last night” post paired a high-street dress with full hair and makeup. Strong glam lets a simple outfit look intentional, and a statement outfit often looks best with cleaner, simpler hair.
3. Plan for the camera
If the night will end up on social media, the hairline, shine and movement all matter more than they would in person. A customised, well-installed unit is what holds up in close-ups and video.
Why her story matters to anyone building a personal brand
Siyanda Bani’s rise follows a pattern worth noticing: a clear niche, a reason behind every look, and the confidence to post before it feels perfect. The awards and the trips to Paris came after that consistency, not before it.
If you have your own big night coming up, from a launch to an awards evening, see how our team finishes hair and makeup in Our Work, then book glam on Fresha or message our stylists on WhatsApp.
As seen on Instagram
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Send us a photo of the look you love. Our stylists will match the unit, install and glam to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is Siyabunny's real name?
Siyabunny's real name is Siyanda Bani, often shortened to Siya Bani, according to Wanted and Business Report. She uses the name Siyabunny, or Siya Bunny, for her fashion and travel content online, which is where most of her audience knows her from.
What award did Siya Bunny win?
She won Fashion Creator of the Year at the TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa on 8 February 2025, held at the Galleria in Johannesburg, as reported by Glamour SA and Business Report. The award recognised her styling content, which explains the reasoning behind each outfit rather than just showing it.
Did Siyabunny go to Paris Fashion Week?
Yes. TikTok's newsroom reports that she attended Paris Fashion Week as a result of her success on the platform. She had also travelled to Paris in 2023 for the global launch of Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami, according to Glamour SA.
Who did Siyabunny's hair and makeup?
In one Instagram post captioned "About last night… High Shine Glitz & Glam", Siyabunny credited "Hair & makeup: @thepenthousebeautystudio". The Penthouse Beauty Studio is a luxury wig and beauty studio at The Marc in Sandton. Other looks may have been done by different teams.
How do I get a high-shine hair look for an event?
Begin with healthy, cuticle-aligned hair, such as single donor raw hair, then blow-dry and flat iron it smooth with heat protection. Finish with a little serum on the lengths only and keep the hairline crisp. Our stylists can create the look for you; book on Fresha or ask on WhatsApp.
Sources
- Glamour SA — Siya Bunny wins Fashion Content Creator at the TikTok Awards
- Business Report — Siya Bunny wins Fashion Content Creator at the TikTok Awards
- TikTok Newsroom — Siyabunny on fashion content
- Glamour SA — Siyanda Bani takes on Paris
- Wanted — Native Siyanda Bani discovers the different facets of Johnnie Walker Elusive Umami
- Instagram — Siyabunny: "About last night… High Shine Glitz & Glam"
- Instagram — Siyabunny (@siyabunny)
Written by The Penthouse Beauty Studio team at The Marc, 129 Rivonia Rd, Sandown, Sandton. Prices are in rand, include VAT and were correct at the time of publishing.
