Meet Dr Shakes: The Comedian Taking Swati Humour Beyond Eswatini’s Borders

MBABANE — Long before Bonginkosi Dlamini became known as Dr Shakes, he was simply the boy who could make people laugh.

Today, the comedian, content creator and entertainment entrepreneur is turning that instinct for humour into something much bigger: a career that is taking Swati stories and comedy to audiences across Southern Africa and beyond.

With his trademark wide grin, energetic stage presence and a microphone logo that has become synonymous with his brand, Dr Shakes has spent more than a decade building a name for himself while creating opportunities for other comedians along the way.

At the centre of that journey is the Eswatini International Comedy Festival (ECOFEST), the platform he founded to bring local and international comedians together while giving emerging Swati performers a stage of their own.

From making classmates laugh to making audiences pay attention

For Dr Shakes, comedy did not begin with a business plan.

The instinct to entertain, he says, goes back to his primary school years, when making people laugh came naturally. It was only later that he began to see comedy as something he could pursue professionally.

That transition came in 2014, when he performed at an evangelical church event in Mbabane. From there, he began honing his craft at the Mbabane Mall, learning the rhythm of live performance and discovering what made audiences respond.

A year later, he got his first major break.

In 2015, Dr Shakes entered the LOL comedy competition and emerged as the winner. The victory gave him a national platform and helped establish him as one of Eswatini’s promising young comedians.

Then came the internet.

In late 2019, a video featuring his comedy went viral, introducing his work to a much wider audience. The attention caught the eye of the established comedy collective Smallz The Comedian & Co, which brought him into its fold.

It was a turning point that helped propel his career beyond the local comedy circuit.

More than just a comedian

While stand-up remains at the heart of his work, Dr Shakes has never confined himself to one stage.

He has ventured into acting, including a starring role in the Swati film Umjingi Udliwa Yinhlitiyo. The film tackles a deeply rooted cultural issue, exploring the practice of offering a daughter for marriage without her consent.

His work also extends into mentorship.

Through training programmes in schools, communities and churches, Dr Shakes has worked with aspiring performers, helping young people develop confidence and find their own voices.

For him, comedy is not simply about getting a laugh. It can also be a way of telling stories, opening conversations and creating opportunities.

Taking Swati humour across borders

As his profile grew, so did the geography of his performances.

Dr Shakes has performed in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia and Uganda, sharing stages with comedians from across the continent.

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His regional appearances have included the Heavyweights International Comedy Festival in Botswana, the Zed Laugh Festival in Zambia, the Lesotho International Comedy Festival and comedy showcases in Kampala.

Those performances have allowed him to introduce audiences outside Eswatini to the humour, experiences and everyday observations that shape his comedy.

His growing presence in South Africa has been particularly significant.

He has shared the stage with established comedians including Eugene Khoza, Trevor Gumbi and Joey Rasdien, as well as fellow Eswatini performers Mdura and Sbu Ngwenya, as part of the line-up for the third annual Soweto International Comedy Festival.

For a comedian whose material is rooted in his own cultural experience, crossing those borders has meant discovering just how much laughter can travel.

Turning a career into a platform

Perhaps Dr Shakes’ biggest contribution to comedy is not what happens when he walks onto a stage, but what he has built for others.

In founding ECOFEST, he created a platform designed to connect Eswatini’s comedy scene with the wider African entertainment industry.

The festival’s second edition, held at Sibane Sami Hotel in Ezulwini on September 27, 2024, featured comedians from South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe alongside some of Eswatini’s own performers.

Among the international names were Siya Seya and Smowkey Nyemebe from South Africa, Chingliz from Zambia, Thapelo Malani from Botswana, Masapo from Lesotho and Mbongeni Ignatius from Zimbabwe. Local performers included Mdura, Cedric Cappuccino and Sbu Ngwenya.

But ECOFEST was never intended to be only a showcase for established performers.

In 2025, the festival introduced a comedy search competition at the University of Eswatini’s Kwaluseni campus, creating a pathway for aspiring comedians to be discovered and perform alongside established international acts.

The festival’s international reach also continued to expand, with comedians from countries including China joining performers from Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.

What began as a platform for comedy in Eswatini was gradually becoming a meeting point for comedians from across the continent and beyond.

Building an industry, not just a show

That ambition reflects a broader belief Dr Shakes has expressed about the future of entertainment in Eswatini.

He has increasingly used his platform to speak about the need for more opportunities for local artists and performers.

Commenting on the country’s growing reputation as a destination for live entertainment, including the announcement of a May 2026 Mbabane performance by Ugandan comedian Dr Hilary Okello, Dr Shakes argued that comedy in Eswatini is “alive and growing”.

Events featuring international performers, he said, do more than entertain audiences. They also expose local artists to new ideas and possibilities.

“We have the stories and the humour, what we need is more platforms,” he said.

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That philosophy is evident in ECOFEST, where the emphasis is as much on creating connections and opportunities as it is on putting on a successful comedy show.

From the stage to the boardroom

Dr Shakes has also recognised that building a sustainable entertainment career requires looking beyond ticket sales.

His work now includes brand partnerships, corporate entertainment and brand ambassadorships, allowing him to use his comedy and digital following to connect businesses with younger and increasingly diverse audiences.

It is another part of his effort to turn entertainment into a viable industry, rather than something performers pursue only as a side hustle.

For a comedian who started by making people laugh at school, the journey has taken him into festivals, films, corporate spaces and international stages.

And the ambition appears to be getting bigger.

Carrying the story forward

Dr Shakes’ career is ultimately a story about more than one comedian.

It is about what happens when an artist takes something deeply local and gives it the confidence to travel.

His comedy is rooted in Eswatini, but the stages are increasingly regional and continental. Through ECOFEST, he is also helping create a space where other performers can make that same journey.

The goal is not to leave Swati humour behind as he crosses borders. It is to carry it with him.

And if the past decade is anything to go by, Dr Shakes is only getting started.

Dr Shakes is active on X as @DrShakes_SD, Facebook under Dr Shakes, Instagram as @drshakes_sd and on TikTok as @drshakes.