The Business Of Comedy In South Africa!
There is no denying that the South African comedy sector has grown in leaps and bounds. Most comedy veterans usually relay stories of how inconsistent and nonviable the business of comedy was in the beginning. They resorted to several side hustles for sustainability, however the new batch of comedians don’t necessarily share the same narrative, hence those that came before them, paved the way for a more stable comedy industry.
Parents don’t have to cringe when their young kids express that they want to pursue comedy as a career. Being a comedian in South Africa has proven to be a sustainable and sensible reality for many upcoming and well established comedians. Unlike back then, comedians can exhaust and explore many creative outlets regarding their respective brands of comedy.
South African legendary comedian, David Kau established one of the most staple and effective comedy events within the industry – Blacks Only. Most comedians regard performing at this prestigious event as a career highlight, as it is mostly every comedian’s dream to secure a slot.
In an interview with Mahala, Trevor Noah stated that, the industry is getting bigger, especially with the influx of new comedians coming through, who offer various brands of comedy, which is a good thing.
He was quoted as saying:..” You wanna get comedy into the mainstream. Comedy has been the bastard child of entertainment for so long and now there’s a lot of guys coming in, young guys. There’s so many different styles. That’s what we need. We just need comedy, the industry to be bigger.”
Female representation within the sphere of comedy is something to take notice of. The likes of Celeste Ntuli, Tumi Morake, Lihle Msimango, Thenjiwe Moseley and Nina Hastie, to mention a few have infiltrated this once male dominated industry with flair, smarts and mega talent!
