Winston Frederick Sterzel, also known by hisYouTube pseudonymSerpentZA, is a South Africanvlogger andvideo producer. He lived inShenzhen,Guangdong, China for fourteen years.[1] His videos cover a variety of topics relating toChinese politics and life in China from his personal perspective.
Early life
Sterzel is of British heritage and was born and raised in South Africa. He moved to China[2][3] to work as an English teacher after first visiting on business in 2005.[4]
Career
Life in China
In 2015, he was one of twelve South Africans in China profiled byChina Radio International.[5] He started uploading videos in China in 2007, and became a full-timevlogger in 2016.[6] His videos primarily focus on life in China as viewed from his personal perspective.[2][3][7][8][9]
Sterzel has also made videos about motorcycle trips through China. With fellow YouTuberMatthew Tye (who goes by Laowhy86)[10] and other friends, he has taken extended journeys and produced documentary series titledConquering Southern China[11][12][13] andConquering Northern China.[13][10] He and Tye operate the YouTube channelADVChina, a motorcycle travel vlog.[14] Sterzel was also co-founder of a small, China-basedcustom motorcycle business, Churchill Custom Motorcycles, that is no longer in business.[9]
Departure from China and subsequent videos
In late 2018, according to Sterzel and Tye, they faced increased harassment and threats fromChinese internet trolls. According to Sterzel, the trolls had threatened his wife and her employer with letters accusing Sterzel of being a spy, in an effort to get her fired. The month after,Michael Spavor, a business partner and friend of the pair, wasdetained by Chinese authorities. They reported this increased their fear for their own safety. As a result, Sterzel and Tye chose to leave China and moved toLos Angeles in 2019.[15]
Following his departure from China, Sterzel's YouTube channel took a sharp turn into criticism of the Chinese government, using video titles such as "How China is slowly KILLING us all."[10]
References
^Melody Yao (September 14, 2019)."American Youtubers In China: Q&A With Winston Sterzal And Matthew Tye". US-China Today.Winston: I have lived in China for 14 years, and that is without leaving. I've done a few holidays here and there, but not many … And one word to describe my time in China would be "challenge."
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