The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
BULAWAYO-BORN internet sensation — Thuba Sibanda who stars as the philosophical, comical and phenomenal Nceku turned one this month, with his page garnering at least 7 492 fans in the past year.
Nceku who started off his journey to stardom, as a mere gag said he never thought he would use social media as a platform to develop his career as a comical motivator.
“I was just goofing around on social media and never really thought it would have such an impact on people’s lives. I never thought I would look at this as a career. It was on 18 January last year that I shot and posted a video on Facebook and it drew the attention of so many people. The video went viral and that was the start of it all,” said Nceku.
As once mentioned, if you ever wanted to be a famous entertainer, you either had to star in a movie or get a record deal.
It is a different case all together today as celebrities are made online. Instagram, Vine, YouTube and Facebook to mention a few are social media platforms allowing a new generation of social media stars to bypass traditional gatekeepers and connect directly with audiences and fans.
“It has been a good year as God has continued to show Himself mightily. Quite a lot has been achieved within a year. To name a few:
— Amazing followership on social media.
— Live show and DVD recording
— Bookings for weddings and different events.
— New sets of under garments lol (liyahleka kodwa liqiniso)
“‘Am reminded of Luke 2:52,’’ and the child grew in stature and wisdom and in favour with God and men. Thank you for your continued support.
I promise to keep learning, acquiring more skills and improving. More, better, funnier and influential and educative skits are coming. Together lets fight depression, divorce, violence, hatred and so forth,” said Nceku, reminiscing on how he grew popular.
“I started gaining recognition in March,” recalls Nceku, stating that he had never tried drama nor had he ever auditioned for a TV show or anything related to the arts,” he said.
Standing tall and proud of the career path he chose, Nceku recently announced that he would be embarking on a two-week tour of the United Kingdom.
“This is my first tour and it happens to be in UK. There’s a huge gospel show done there annually and they requested me to feature both as an MC and performer. Organisers of the event approached me via Facebook and the deal was set,” said Nceku.
He said since becoming an internet sensation he also availed himself to MC at weddings and other events and also to perform.
“I practice clean comedy, my jokes are based on Christian values,” said Nceku, adding that he was probably the first Zimbabwean to get to that level through Christian Comedy. The tour kicks off on 23 September in Leicester.
Nceku earned his name from his churchmates, where he said Nceku was more of an interpreter for a church pastor.
“Most people think that what we do is a hobby but it’s actually a job. With this one can land deals and we also have deadlines like real jobs. Social media can be used in many ways, it really puts power in your hands and I thought how best I could use it to make a name and also make money out of it. One can actually make more money from a two-minute video than a full movie. It’s only a matter of time until people realise the power in this new age of social media,” said Nceku.
He said for the greater part of his time he was working on shooting and producing a show slated for 23 December.
@peterkmatika
