Eight years after joining YouTube, Lasizwe Dambuza is showing no sign of stopping as he debuts a cinematic YouTube series.
The first episode of Nomatriquency: The Funeral marks a milestone for the content creator who has transformed his YouTube platform into a full-blown production.
“It’s growth. We’re not shooting on cellphones. YouTube can be taken seriously, and it should be taken seriously as another medium to consume content. To set a new level in storytelling,” Lasizwe told TshisaLIVE.
The storyline derives from his personal and difficult life experience.
“The story was inspired by my ex. I went through a horrible breakup, so this story is me grieving my ex so I can bury him and continue with my life so I can fall in love again. I’m using my life experiences to be creative and not let them consume me.”
Having had his own reality show and been featured in several other productions, Lasizwe is no stranger to the demands of the film industry and says there’s a clear distinction between the two worlds.
“In the YouTube world we shoot quickly, and in the film industry we spend 12 hours doing the same thing over and over again. I understand why, though, because you need to get the perfect shot. So merging the two worlds was intense. The YouTube world is more about improvisation, so have a script and let creatives be themselves.
“Actors feel influencers are taking their job, so I decided to use YouTube to empower influencers who aspire to be actors, but we’ll create our own little space.”
In November 2025, Lasizwe became the first black man under 30 in South Africa to reach a million subscribers; now he has 1.14-million.
“I equate my growth to evolution and the person I’m becoming. We started shooting on cellphones, and now we’re shooting on cinematic cameras. People come on YouTube and can watch good content.”
He’s dubbed himself the “King of YouTube”.
“I entered the industry when it was still vague. YouTube was not what it is now; at the time there was not even a term called ‘influencer’ or ‘content creator’. We were called bloggers and comedians. Now we have an industry where we belong, fighting those battles, being used as a guinea pig, especially with brands. Brands were only working with celebrities.”
Lasizwe said he has more tricks up his sleeve on his platform, and his fans have a lot more to expect.
“I look forward to creating a long-format series, something that’s like a telenovela for YouTube that everyone will want to watch on YouTube and is free to access.”
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