The secret is unwrapped: Lasizwe was The Masked Singer South Africa’s sensational Sushi.
Digital trailblazer and Mzansi mover and shaker Lasizwe Dambuza has made waves on the entertainment scene, reeling in over a million subscribers on his YouTube channel and leaving television audiences hooked. Now, in his latest stint, the inimitable star who kept celebrities on their toes in the SAFTA-nominated Awkward Dates served up another show-stopping turn. Lasizwe was the irresistible Sushi on SABC 2’s hugely popular guessing game, The Masked Singer South Africa Season 3
However, after weeks of stacked Sushi clues, only detective Somizi Mhlongo managed to match Lasizwe to the tantalising treat. This spot-on guess placed Somizi at the top of the leaderboard for the coveted Golden Ear Trophy, awarded to the supersleuth who correctly identifies the most hidden celebrities.
This week, Sushi returned to The Masked Singer South Africa stage alongside punchy Pineapple, captivating creepy-crawly Gogga and the fabulous flock duo, Sheep.
After wrapping fans around his glitzy fish fingers in previous episodes, with energetic performances of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” and Mandoza’s anthem “Nkalakatha“, Sushi was on a roll with Babes Wodumo’s gqom mega-hit “Umngan’wami“.
Was the song choice a giveaway? Maybe, maybe not. But as detectives J’Something, Somizi, and Sithelo Shozi, along with guest detective Jason Goliath, sitting in for Skhumba, knew from experience, every morsel of information could be a piece of the perplexing puzzle. So they had to cast their net wide, trawling through clues dropped throughout the season.
When Sushi stunned the detectives with his first appearance on The Masked Singer South Africa Season 3, his clue package was appropriately set against the colourful, saturated backdrop of a futuristic Japanese city, as he revealed that he shares a name with “a national hero“. With related Japanese and soccer references popping up throughout the Sushi case, the detectives latched onto these hints a couple of times.
Other invaluable tidbits peppered into his clue packages included phrases such as “a literal princess is the reason why I’m here“, “an upbringing rooted in grace“, the word “faith“, and suggestions about content creation.
That’s why the panel of investigators previously locked in names such as content creator and radio and TV personality Okay Wasabi; rugby star Cheslin Kolbe, who has played club rugby in Japan; and content creator Primo Baloyi, who shares a surname with soccer star Brian Baloyi. Footballer-turned-commentator Bongani Khumalo was also a possibility.
Notably, the “princess” association in particular led Sithelo to Dr Musa Mthombeni, the husband of former Miss South Africa Liesl Laurie.
When host Mpho Popps revived a clue-generator favourite, “The Clue Game“, this week, Sushi’s identity still didn’t ring a clear bell with the detectives. As Mpho pulled a giant lever, the slot machine settled on images of a cellphone, a Martini glass and an R10 note – all iconography from Lasizwe’s incredible success story.
Now it all makes sense: Lasizwe first started creating content after winning a phone in a competition. “R10 Goes a Long Way” was the 2021 campaign he helped launch to support students struggling with registration fees, and the Martini glass was linked to his YouTube show, Drink or Tell the Truth.
J’Something obviously didn’t make these connections. Although he interpreted the phone as a reference to digital fame, J’Something had long suspected that Sushi was a musician – not necessarily a singer, but someone who uses his voice in his art. With that in mind, he opted for the singer and producer Musa Keys. Sithelo, for whom the images made no sense, picked another Musa – the one she had stuck with across three episodes, namely Dr Musa Mthombeni.
Also wide of the mark, guest detective Jason Goliath concluded that the phone, cocktail and R10 note pointed to a broke comedian in need of airtime, leading him to the funnyman and former South Africa’s Got Talent host Tats Nkonzo.
Meanwhile, Sushi’s distinctive walk onto the stage set Somizi’s “gaydar” whistling. Sushi moved as he does in real life, and the pose said it all. Additionally, the phone indicated that Sushi was a YouTuber. So, Somizi was convinced it could only be one person – the fabulous Lasizwe.
With this week’s voting results, Pineapple crushed Sushi into the Danger Zone, where he encountered Gogga. And ultimately, Gogga had Sushi for dinner.
In their final takes on Sushi’s identity, all the detectives stuck to their earlier guesses. And, looking like the cat that caught the Sushi, Somizi had every reason to be pleased.
Lasizwe told Mpho that he not only thoroughly enjoyed being in disguise but also found all the footwork pretty cool. “I don’t know how to dance, but I can now… y’all can book me!” he joked.
For those still trying to dip into Sushi-lover Lasizwe’s soccer tips, his second name is Siphiwe, shared with legendary Bafana Bafana star Siphiwe Tshabalala.
The Masked Singer South Africa is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos.
The Masked Singer South Africa airs on Saturday at 19:00 on SABC 2, and is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios, and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos. Rebroadcasts are on Thursdays at 21:00 on SABC 1 and Fridays at 13:30 on SABC 2.
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