Byline: Kaitlyn Gomez
Canadian actor Simba William Yakibonge has refused to wait for opportunities. The Ottawa-raised performer, who starred in the drama series No Regrets (2024) on Tubi, won “Best Actor” at the Black Actors Film Guild of Canada for that role. But he knew the national market was small. “Canada is too small of a market,” he says, so early on he began producing his own films to get ahead. In fact, on his website, he emphasizes that he goes beyond acting by making original content like the romantic web series The Roster and leveraging social media to “connect with modern audiences”. This do-it-yourself attitude has allowed Yakibonge to build credibility on screen and online alike, creating a new model for Canadian artists.
Producing and starring in indie shorts has become a signature strategy for Yakibonge. For example, he wrote and starred in The Roster, a comedy short that won Best Comedy at the Canadian Black Screen Awards (BAFGC). That project (poster above) exemplifies his hands-on approach: rather than wait for scripts, he makes his own. He noted that these self-made films “screened at festivals,” and “won festival recognition and opened doors to narrative work”. Indeed, by creating his own content, he attracted attention from award-winning directors and landed principal roles in features (such as Marjan Hashemi’s debut film Afterlove).
Yakibonge now works with multiple indie producers on what he calls an “avant-garde” style of short-form storytelling, and those videos have already “crossed over 1 million views” online. In short, by making his own films, he has literally created opportunities that the traditional gatekeepers weren’t offering.
- Streaming series star: Lead actor in No Regrets (2024) on Tubi, winning the Black Actors Film Guild of Canada’s Best Actor award for his performance.
- Feature film role: Cast in a principal part of Afterlove (2023), the debut feature by Women-in-Directors-Chair winner Marjan Hashemi.
- Award-winning short films: Wrote, produced, and starred in multiple shorts. Notably, his comedy The Roster earned Best Comedy at the Black Actors Film Guild of Canada.
- Commercial success: Featured in over 40 national and international commercials (Amazon, Wingstop, Coors Light, Mobil, and others), a rare volume for someone based in Ottawa.
- Social media reach: Built 80,000+ TikTok followers (over 2 million likes) by creating short, engaging videos for modern audiences.
Yakibonge’s digital savvy is equally notable. He has grown a loyal TikTok following of over 80,000 fans (mostly young women) who consume his humor and romance sketches[9]. He calls himself both “a classically ambitious actor and a digital-era storyteller/producer,” learning to build “audience loyalty and cultural relevance outside the traditional gatekeepers”. This online platform gives him direct access to viewers: many of his TikTok shorts routinely rack up hundreds of thousands of views, with several surpassing one million.
By engaging fans directly, Yakibonge not only markets his independent films and showcase reels, but also validates that he brings a built-in audience to any project.
Industry professionals note that this kind of engagement is increasingly valuable; he provides proof that his content can move crowds at scale. In interviews, he stresses that this dual strategy, auditioning tirelessly while also making original content, has allowed him to “build momentum, create impact, and carve a path forward” even from a smaller market.
Simba Yakibonge’s journey has made him a natural mentor figure for other Canadian actors. In a city like Ottawa, where actors can feel isolated from the big hubs, his example shows that persistence and creativity pay off. Yakibonge himself says he feels a “heavy weight” to share insights with peers, noting that aspirants continually reach out for advice. He emphasizes that he represents “a new generation of actors who create their own opportunities instead of waiting for them”.
Indeed, he has used his platform to encourage fellow artists to keep creating their own projects and pitches, rather than waiting for doors to open. His long-term goals also reflect this spirit: he dreams of winning an Oscar or starting a production company, but more immediately, he aspires to build a sound stage in Ottawa “because we have none,” he points out. That goal underlines his commitment to give other local talent the infrastructure that was missing during his own climb.
In summing up his philosophy, Yakibonge says he simply follows a motto of “trust your gut, keep creating, and build your own lane”. In today’s rapidly changing entertainment world, his story suggests one clear truth: Canadian artists can thrive by taking initiative.