ENTERTAINMENT
“ Women in stand-up comedy force people to acknowledge and listen to a woman, uninterrupted.”
COMEDY OFTEN SHINES A LIGHT ON EVERYDAY LIFE. HOW HAS BEING A WOMAN INFLUENCED THE STORIES YOU CHOOSE TO TELL ON STAGE? Well, it has certainly influenced how many jokes I have about being ghosted by men. Other than that, my material largely comments on issues that plague most South Africans, like the despair we feel after buying electricity and receiving a pitiful number of units back.
HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR AUTHENTIC VOICE? I do feel an immense amount of pressure to represent coloured women well. Our representation in the media is often limited because we make up such a small percentage of the population. My aim is always to make people in the crowd feel good. Battling preconceived notions can be challenging, but comedy is my dream job and it’ s a privilege to make people laugh. If that means I have to be more meticulous, regularly, it is definitely worth it.
WHO ARE THE WOMEN WHO HAVE INSPIRED YOUR JOURNEY, AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE STAYED WITH YOU? My mum is my number one inspiration. She’ s hilarious, generous, and hardworking in ways that I constantly aspire to. Celeste Ntuli is naturally hilarious, with an insane dedication to her grind, and Tumi Morake is so funny and intelligent. Even the comedians who have started comedy after me inspire me. Céline Tshika has the most incredible wit, Mbali Gudazi’ s energy and authenticity grounds any audience, and Wazi Kunene’ s candid approach disarms and delights.
HOW DO YOU THINK COMEDY HELPS WOMEN CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES AND START IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS? Women in stand-up comedy force people to acknowledge and listen to a woman, uninterrupted. Women are often regarded as a monolith; comedy highlights our individuality. On a comedy stage, a woman can be weird, horny, or even angry. As long as you have a punchline, there’ s nothing you have to hold back.
WHAT MADE YOU THINK TO YOURSELF,“ I’ VE EARNED MY PLACE IN THIS INDUSTRY”? My favourite thing about comedy is that you’ ll be in a stadium one day with a private dressing room and an assistant attending to your every whim, and the very next evening you’ ll be in a dirty bar covering your R60 watery beverage because the air might poison your drink. Longevity in an industry that constantly clings onto our support is the greatest marker of success. It is a constant, everyday decision to claim a space you’ ve decided is yours, because no-one will give it to you.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG WOMEN WHO DREAM OF PURSUING COMEDY OR A CAREER IN ENTERTAINMENT? Do it. As soon as the thought enters your mind, put an action behind it, because I guarantee you there are 50 guys your age with twice the confidence and half the talent already trying so why can’ t you?
YOUR PERFORMANCES MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH, BUT HAS THERE EVER BEEN A JOKE OR STORY THAT UNEXPECTEDLY SPARKED A DEEPER CONVERSATION ABOUT WOMEN’ S EXPERIENCES? Any joke I have that points out something about a woman’ s body, and all the things we go through physically and hormonally creates an openness in the room. The older generations had a culture of shame masked as privacy. Pregnancy, periods, and masturbation are all natural and innocuous occurrences that innocently elicit shame in so many women. Women often wait for me after the gig to open up, and I welcome it because there is no such thing as TMI to me.
IF YOU COULD CREATE YOUR DREAM WOMEN’ S MONTH COMEDY SHOW, WHO WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH? I think it would be an extremely long show with absolutely no limits. Obviously, I’ d have to have Celeste Ntuli, Tumi Morake, Celine Tshika, Wazi Kunene, and Mbali Gudazi. If budget allows for international acts, I would add Ali Wong, Robby Hoffman, Taylor Tomlinson, Sam Jay, and Aparna Nancherla. IB
AUGUST 2026 / INBOUND SA 93