Simba Mhere dead: Outpouring of tributes for South African television presenter killed in crash

Top Billing presenter in the early hours of Saturday morning near Johannesburg

Simba Mhere died on 31 January 2015 (SABC)

The sudden death of a popular South African television presenter has sparked an outpouring of tributes from around the world.

Simba Mhere died in a car crash that killed seven other people on the N3 motorway near Johannesburg in the early hours of Saturday morning.

He was the well-known presenter of the South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) biggest lifestyle programme, Top Billing.

Thursday's edition of the show charted Mr Mhere's life-changing journey to become an award-winning presenter and television personality.

The 26-year-old, who was born in Zimbabwe, became famous after winning its presenter search in 2010 and was on the rise.

His manager, Lorraine Meizel, told SABC: “He was going places. He was the most amazing human being.

“Gentle, kind and loving, honest, hardworking. He was everything; he was the most extraordinary person.

“I saw him on Thursday. And I always used to kiss him on the neck and always used to love it and shake.”

Mr Mhere studied accounting at the University of Johannesburg before going into presenting, working as a voice-over artist and a master of ceremonies for South African events including the Mrs South Africa pageant.

As the news of his death spread in South Africa on Saturday, people took to Twitter to pay tribute to him, sparking several trends in the UK and around the world.

The cause of his death has not been confirmed.