RENOWNED comedian Aubrey Luo, popularly known as Shi Mumbi has boasted about how he has terrible grade 12 results but making it big in the entertainment industry with his comedy.
Despite having unimpressive results in his final year at Secondary School, he shared that he has been able to turn his life around and achieve success, showing that academic performance isn’t the only measure of a person’s potential, and that with hard work and determination, everything is possible.
Unlike many who strive for high grades in school, Shi Mumbi was a different gem as he decided to knock off from his school journey with points that would need a calculator to count.
He accepted his less than perfect scores and chose to focus on his strengths in comedy, proving that success can manifest in unexpected forms.
Speaking when he appeared on KennyT One on One podcast, the comedian proudly shared how he transformed his ‘nines’ into a bunch of success.
“Isikulu nalipwisha, I completed school very well but my grades weren’t ok, I knocked off with nines and I quickly thought that the nines would not take me anywhere but this prompted me to seek alternative paths, leading me to discover my passion for comedy,” he said.
With his appearance just showing comedy, he playfully contrasted his own journey with that of his former classmates, who achieved academic success but now struggle to find employment in Zambia.
“There are guys I was with in the class, abaiche abamano (intelligent pupils) who had proper grades like six points, and now have degrees, masters, PHDs and so on but ba swine baleshugulukafye nama paper (they are moving around with their qualifications) mu Zambia,” he said.
“If they move with a plane, it means it’s a Proflight to ndola but look at me with nines, ifyabupubafye, going to the US.”
Shi Mumbi’s talent has propelled him to global recognition as he now catches flights and not feelings.
His talent has enabled him to embark on international tours and perform in esteemed countries like Denmark, US among others, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural differences.
Recognising the gift that has enabled him to achieve more than he ever imagined, he attributes his success to divine providence.
“I thank God for this talent he has given me, it has made me go places I thought I wouldn’t,” he stated.
He further implored others to embrace their unique abilities and pursue their dreams with faith and determination.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba September 6, 2025
