Pearl Thusi, left of screen, is loving it! Photo: Twitter

Watch: What is the Dakiwe Challenge? New dance craze takes SA by storm

Well, if it’s good enough for Pearl Thusi… Some of South Africa’s best-known celebs have taken part in the Dakiwe Challenge – here’s your tutorial.

by Tom Head

11-05-2021 16:28

in Lifestyle

Pearl Thusi, left of screen, is loving it! Photo: Twitter

Pearl Thusi, Lasizwe, and even Norma Mngoma have given the Dakiwe Challenge a good go this week – sparking an explosion of copycat videos in the process. The new dance craze has taken off big time in South Africa, thanks largely to its celebrity endorsements and an instant approval from TikTok users.

How do you do the Dakiwe Challenge?

We’ve had a few new viral dances to get used to in the past year or so. Who can forget the basic steps to Jerusalema, or the moves for a good John Vuli’ Gate? However, the Dakiwe Challenge comes from a DJ whose star is already on the rise. DBN Gogo, a 29-year-old hitmaker from KwaZulu-Natal, has created a phenomenon with her new groove…

It’s a pretty basic concept, but not everyone gets it right: You’re just meant to stand on the spot, and move your body upwards from your hips in a deliberate circular motion. You get extra points for nodding your head, too. Look, none of you should take advice from us on how to perform cool dance moves – just watch the professionals do it instead, yeah?

Watch: The unofficial Dakiwe Challenge tutorial!

@DBNGOGO O boss Girl ???????????? pic.twitter.com/nfHB2MbzJ5
— Kgadi Ngoepe (@ngoepe_kgadi) May 8, 2021

DBN Gogo gets South Africans, including Pearl Thusi, moving!

The amapiano-inspired trend was initially picked up by DBN Gogo in Daveyton last year. But in the past week or so, the artist performed the move during a live show – and things ‘blew up from there’.

Part of the Dakiwe Challenge is to make the video as interesting as possible – whether that’s by featuring a famous name, or by doing something creative with your friends. Participants can indeed put their own twists on it, and everyone from Hollywood actresses to politician’s ex-wives are getting in on the act! We’ll leave you with the best of the bunch: