The man behind nga��yatshiselwa video

Bruce Ndlovu
Last year a video of a young man, in the back seat of a car with his shirt off screaming a�?Ngyatshiselwaa�? to seemingly oblivious, mostly white, passersby, went viral on social media.

The young man behind that video has become an overnight sensation, as videos on his Facebook page, OfishalXavier, have become social media staple by those looking for a quick laugh from the comediana��s seemingly endless bags of tricks.

But besides his rapidly growing cult following, not much is known about the social media phenomenon, whose real name is Gerald Xavier Do Couto, a 26-year-old Zimbabwean who is now resident in Uxbridge in West London.

Born in South Africa, Xavier spent the first 10 years of his life in Zimbabwe where he lived in Queena��s Park East in the City of Kings and attended Thomas Rudland and Marula primary schools respectively.

Xavier then left for the UK at 10 where he attended St Thomas More High School where he did his GCSEs and A-Levels.

The budding comedian then progressed to Brunel University where he studied Communications and Media.

Although he is now a bona fide star on social media, Xavier disclosed that he had not envisioned that his video, recorded during a heat wave in England last year, would receive the kind of following and fame that it did.

a�?I didna��t see it coming because I had already posted a lot more videos on Facebook before and they had not got a fraction of the attention that the Ngyatshiselwa video got. For some reasons this is the one that caught the peoplea��s attention and I am honestly glad it did,a�? he said.

Besides being a comedian and actor, Xavier also boasts being a musician, event MC and model in his arsenal. This year the social media phenomenon has begun to spread his wings, as his videos such as Na2lani have begun to show his range as an actor.

Not content with just being a social media phenomenon, Xavier has also enrolled as a student in one of Londona��s top acting schools.

He, however, acknowledges the role played by social media in his rise.

a�?We cana��t ignore the power of social media because it is now everywhere around us and its influence on our everyday lives is immeasurable. For me personally it has opened doors that would have been otherwise impossible to break down because it is harder to get your material to fans through traditional media,a�? he said.

Xavier said comedy was always second nature to him although he had never taken it seriously in his younger days.

Having left the City of Kings 16 years ago, Xavier said he was encouraged by the support that his videos had received from people in Bulawayo, adding that he was keeping tabs on some of the local funnymen.

a�?I think people back home identify with me because I make videos and jokes about everyday life situations that they also go through. I am happy that the comedy scene is growing in Bulawayo and some of the comedians are getting the shine that they deserve,a�? he said. .