Tired of unsuccessful auditions, Thulasizwe Dambusa took matters into his own hands by posting video skits on his social media accounts. Now, with 60,000 followers on Instagram alone, he's made a name for himself as Babes Wamaleyvels without the help of his famous sister, Khanyi Mbau.
According to The Times newspaper, 18-year-old Dambusa (whose goes by @Lasizwe on social media), researched popular vloggers and used their methods to draw a following. He created three alter-egos - Dimima, Candy and Stacy - and, through them, comments on current affairs, pop culture and "cultural and racial stereotypes", says The Times.
With the recent release of matric results, Dambusa, who was born and raised in Pimville, Soweto, took a moment to reflect on what it means to be done with school. The answer: increased unemployment.
Following the news of Doom Pastor, the self-proclaimed prophet Lethebo Rabalago who sprayed Doom insecticide into his congregants' faces, Dambusa's video - in which he said he would "doom" negative people out of his life - was shared widely on social networks.
He told The Times that he did not want to ask his sister for help in making a name for himself in the entertainment industry because he wanted to do it on his own talents and not through her name. But in posts about Mbau, he calls her his "support structure" and says she has always been there for him. "I love my sister more than life itself," he wrote on Instagram.
Dambusa told The Times he was "attacked emotionally a lot in school" because of his sexuality, but he's had the last laugh over his schoolyard bullies. The self-made star was a guest at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2016, was featured on Vuzu Amp and on MTV Base's Newsish and is becoming a real household name.