For many years the only widely popular comedic relief in the country came in the form of a Leon Schuster movie. Twenty years into a new South Africa we are witnessing a new era of comedy. With Trevor Noah joining Comedy Central’s the Daily Show with Jon Stewart in December, we put the spotlight on local standup comedy scene. Here is PONTSHO PILANE’s five funniest people under the South African sun.
Trevor Noah
Arguably the most popular comedian on the continent, Noah has had sold-out shows around the world. He made his first appearance on American television on Jay Leno’s Today Show, drawing attention from Comedy Central. His appointment to the popular satirical news programme The Daily Show is certain to open up even more doors.
David Kau
In 1998, Kau was the only black person among the 44 comedians at the Smirnoff Comedy Festival. Today he is the co-producer of the Blacks Only Comedy Show which has toured the country and remains a favourite among standup comedy fans.
Kagiso Lediga
Most famous for his quirky Savannah Dry adverts, Lediga is one of the pioneers of black comedy in South Africa. He started the popular sketch comedy show, The Pure Monate Show (PMS), together with Kau in 1997. Lediga has won numerous accolades including the Comic Writer of the Year award at last year’s Comic Choice Awards and the People’s Choice Award at the Cape Town Comedy Festival in 2003.
Tumi Morake
Best known for her role as Millicent in the sitcom Isozo Connection, Morake is one of the most successful female standup acts in SA. She was the only woman featured at the 2009 Vodacom Funny Festival and was part of the 46664 It’s No Joke line-up. Her solo standup special, Tumi Morake: HERstory, aired on Comedy Central last year.
Loyiso Gola
Loyiso Gola is the producer and host of the satirical television show Late Nite New with Loyiso Gola (LNN). LNN is in its eighth season and has just been nominated for its second Emmy award in the Best Comedy category.
– Featured image via Facebook
