How Amazon Live hosts Makho Ndlovu and Devyn Simone help brands connect with audiences

Devyn Simone’s dad says she could talk to a wall.

“I've always been about authenticity. I love chatting. I love connecting,” she said during a session at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. And she's put that gift of gab to good use throughout her career in entertainment, which included stints on MTV's The Real World and now as an Amazon Live host, where she talks to customers around the world to help them discover new products.

Simone sat down with fellow Amazon Live host Makho Ndlovu and Wayne Purboo, VP of Amazon Shopping Video, to discuss the evolution of shoppable livestreams and share their experiences as creators in this innovative space.

For Simone and Ndlovu, authenticity is the cornerstone of successful livestream shopping. Ndlovu, who transitioned from entertainment journalism at Essence and People Magazine to Amazon Live, shared how her approach evolved from trying to maintain a polished persona to embracing her genuine self. "Now I literally joke to people and say I could do Amazon Live in my sleep, not because I take it lightly, but because all I am is just being myself," she explained.

Simone credits her reality TV background for helping her develop comfort with authenticity. "Being on The Real World... it's a great sort of shock to your system to learn to really be comfortable with being authentic," she noted. This authenticity has helped her build a loyal following who trust her product recommendations and engage with her content consistently.

Building community through interactive storytelling

One of the most powerful aspects of live shopping is the ability to create genuine connections with viewers.

"I love to play games with the audience, I love trivia... they'll be so supportive that they even interact with each other," Simone said of how she approaches audience engagement. This community-building approach has proven successful, with viewers actively participating in discussions and, importantly, making purchases during streams.

This sense of community is important to consumers. According to the 2024 From Ads to Zeitgeist research from Amazon Ads, 66% of consumers want to feel a greater sense of belonging and community and 6 in 10 consumers agree that brands create communities and bring people together. Meanwhile, the recently released Beyond the Generational Divide research from Amazon Ads shows just how important community is when reaching audiences—with consumers 2.2X more unified by their communities than their age or generation.

Ndlovu approaches her streams as if she's talking to her "group chat," making product recommendations feel like natural conversations between friends. This immersive storytelling technique helps viewers envision products in their own lives while maintaining authentic brand messaging.

With Amazon Live, brands host video shopping experiences on Amazon that combine immersive storytelling, social interactivity, and the ability to seamlessly shop. Amazon Live provides brands with an interactive tool to engage customers through recognizable creators like Ndlovu and Simone, driving product consideration and discovery through authentic, educational, and inspirational content experiences.

Brand collaborations that resonate

When it comes to brand partnerships, Simone and Ndlovu emphasized the importance of personal connection to products. For Ndlovu, that happened recently with Samsung, a brand that her family uses in their own household.

“What I really loved about that stream is they empowered me to talk about the product authentically,” Ndlovu explained. “I'm not a techie, but I know what matters to customers— camera quality, battery life, design."

Simone had a similar experience with Furbo’s pet cameras. “It really meant a lot,” Simone said. “I could get my dog engaged. It felt like getting my family engaged. And we now have them in every room.”

The key to successful brand collaborations comes from thorough research and authentic presentation. "I become what I like to call like a mini expert," Ndlovu explained, describing how she deep dives into brand research before translating technical information into relatable content for her audience.

The future of live shopping

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, Simone and Ndlovu see livestream shopping as a creative format for a brand’s social commerce strategies. Simone emphasized the efficiency of live shopping in creating multiple consumer touch points in a single session, noting that "it just supports everything else they're doing on their campaign."

Their advice to brands considering entering the live shopping space? "Don't be last," Simone urged, highlighting how this format is becoming increasingly important in the consumer journey. Ndlovu added that brands should "find the right creator who most aligns with your brand" and trust them to authentically connect with their audience.

This kind of authenticity can speak to audiences across generations. According to the 2025 Beyond the Generational Divide research from Amazon Ads, 57% of surveyed consumers prefer ads that reflect universal experiences rather than targeting specific age groups and 3 in 5 surveyed consumers say they like brands that speak to their values and interests.

As live shopping continues to grow, the success of creators like Ndlovu and Simone demonstrates the power of authentic connections in helping drive commerce. Their experiences show that when brands and creators work together with trust and authenticity, they can create compelling content that not only drives sales but builds lasting relationships with viewers.

And, of course, it always helps to be able to talk to a wall.