South African comedian and actor Ebenhaezer Dibakwane has passed away at the age of 31.
Ebenhaezer Dibakwane dies: What’s the cause of death?
His death was confirmed in a statement released by his brother, Lesedi Dibakwane, on Friday, 7 March 2025.
“Our hearts are broken as we announce the untimely passing of Ebenhaezer Dibakwane, beloved son, brother, uncle, friend, and celebrated actor and comedian,” the statement read.
The family has not disclosed the cause of death, stating that further details, including memorial and funeral arrangements, will be shared in due course.
Dibakwane’s management agency, Pickled Ginger, also released a statement, describing the comedian as a “friend to so many” and praising his unique comedic style.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of celebrated comedian, actor, and writer Ebenhaezer Dibakwane. A friend to so many, he will be remembered for his off-the-wall humour, original style of stand-up comedy, and the joy he brought to audiences across South Africa. To know Ebenhaezer was to love him, and he’ll be sorely missed,” the statement read.
Ebenhaezer Dibakwane biography
Dibakwane rose to fame after winning the Newcomer Award at the 6th annual Savanna Comic’s Choice Awards in September 2016. His career in entertainment spanned stand-up comedy, theatre, and television, making him one of South Africa’s most recognisable comedic talents.
As a stand-up comedian, Dibakwane shared the stage with some of the country’s most prominent comedians.
He opened for Dillan Oliphant at his first one-man show, Oliphant in the Room, and performed in the Stand Up 4 Comedyensemble alongside Gavin Kelly, Virgil Prins, and Mo Mothebe.
He also appeared at the Comedy Central International Comedy Festival, performing on the same lineup as Trevor Noah, Aries Spears, Jeff Ross, Hannibal Buress, Marc Lottering, Basketmouth, Carl Joshua Ncube, Eugene Khoza, and Tats Nkonzo.
In addition to his comedy career, Dibakwane was also an actor, making his television debut in 2015 on e.tv’s soapie Ashes to Ashes.
He later became a presenter on SABC1’s Walala Wasala and featured on SABC2’s The Bantu Hour. His first starring role came in 2017, when he played Kaygee in SABC1’s sitcom Thuli noThulani.
Dibakwane also starred in the SABC1 supernatural miniseries Emoyeni, the Netflix comedy-drama Miseducation, and e.tv’s drama series Easy Money.
His versatility extended to reality television as well. In 2018, he competed in Dancing with the Stars South Africa, where he was partnered with professional dancer Nombulelo Hlathi.
Reactions to Ebenhaezer Dibakwane’s death
Following news of his passing, tributes poured in from colleagues, friends, and fans.
Here are some of the reactions we picked:
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