Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma
MOVE over Harare and Bulawayo. Gwanda has a new king of content, and he is blowing up fast!
Lungile Ndlovu, aka Bunandi the African Man or Itshapha Le Gwanda, is the small-town hustler making big digital waves. In just three weeks, the mining town sensation has shot from 4 000 followers to over 28 000 across social media platforms. And he did it with nothing but raw talent, hustle, and school WiFi.
With his signature chant “Itshapha Le Gwanda,” Bunandi is turning everyday struggles into viral gold. His skits are relatable, his humour infectious, and his mission simple. He wants to change his life and uplift his struggling family of eight.
“I started music in primary and comedy in A-Level,” he told B-Metro. “But comedy gave me faster recognition. Music is slow and expensive. This is my hustle, my way to give my parents the life they deserve.”
Life behind the laughs is not easy though. Bunandi is broke, unemployed, and depends on sneaky WiFi missions at local schools just to post content.
“People think I’m rich because I’m trending, but I can’t even afford data,” he said. “No Gwanda business has ever approached me to advertise. Not one.”
Yet he remains undeterred. With over 800 TikTok videos, six songs, and a new YouTube series uBunandi yingozi, the content keeps flowing even if the cash doesn’t.
“I won’t stop. I know one day this will pay off. I want kids in small towns to see it’s possible,” he said.
From the dusty streets of Gwanda, Itshapha Le Gwanda is on a mission to prove that going viral doesn’t need a big budget. Just a big heart and louder laughter.
