Free State rugby player turned singer wins gay community’s sexiest man poll

The winner in this year’s Mambaonline Sexiest Man Survey, brought to you by WeTheBrave.co.za, is up-and-coming Afrikaans singing hunk Brendan Peyper.

The gorgeous former Free State farm boy who gave up a rugby scholarship for a recording contract received the lion’s share of the almost 6,000 votes on South Africa’s leading gay news and lifestyle website, Mambaonline.com.

He beat out 12 other gay-friendly home-grown male celebrity finalists who have been competing for the fun title since the start of October.

“I’ve never been nominated for something like this before,” Peyper, who only completed Matric last year, told Mambaonline in an exclusive interview. “It’s a whole new thing for me. I feel very good and appreciate everyone who voted.”

He went on to talk about having to choose between rugby and music, homophobia on the sports field and how he was bullied in primary school for not being the typical jock.

“The guys in the rugby team never gave me a chance and never wanted me in the team. They thought I was gay. I was bullied a lot about my music. But I believe that the best revenge is success,” Peyper said.

Hot on his heels in second place is soap star Nkululeko Tshirumbula, who’s best known for his roles on Muvhango and now Generations – The Legacy.

In his own interview with Mambaonline, Tshirumbula thanked his gay fans for their support. He also said he would personally support a celebrity campaign to help stamp out homophobia in South Africa.

“I think it goes back to education at the end of the day; how people are educated about people’s sexuality,” he said. “Those who are victimising gay people don’t know much about it, they believe it’s a taboo and that a ‘man is a man’. It’s a matter of education, so that they know that different sexualities do exist.”

For more about Brendan Peyper and Nkululeko Tshirumbula, read their Mambaonline interviews, here and here.

Mambaonline’s 2015 survey was presented by WeTheBrave.co.za, the groundbreaking campaign targeting gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), bringing sexy back into sexual health.

Voters stood in line to win great prizes, including stylish timepieces from Police, designer underwear from Aphrodisiac and men’s skincare and fragrance from MichaelGamePlan.