Twenty-one of the country’s top comedians are joining forces with Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) to make Mzansi comedy fans fall head-over-heels in love with home-grown stand-up comedy.
Passionately lining up to support comedy and the comedic arts, and to encourage South Africans to appreciate and consume more local comedy are: Celeste Ntuli, Ndumiso Lindi, Dillan Oliphant, Lihle Lindzy, Deep Fried Man, Conrad Koch, Chris Forrest, Barry Hilton, John Vlismas, Nina Hastie, Suzelle DIY, Donovan Goliath, Nick Goliath, Robby Collins, Richelieu Beaunoir, Simmi Areff, Mojak Lehoko, Ebenhaezer Dibakwane, David Kau, Yaaseen Barnes and Joey Rasdien. Further comedians will join the campaign throughout the year.
Kicking off on Valentine’s Day, the campaign will see the 21 comedy luminaries starring in a fun new Comedy Central promotional campaign that will run on TV, billboards and social media throughout the year.
Throwing dignity and caution to the winds, the comedians have filmed a range of adorable stunts, slo-mo clips, face-offs and silly promos showing them interacting humorously with dogs, beach balls, glitter, pom poms, balloons and much more, using the props in a comic way to represent their own personal “brand” of comedy.
Commented Dillon Khan, Senior Channel Director, Comedy Central, Africa and Creative Services VIMN Africa, “Comedy Central is on a mission to make life funnier, and to support the local comedy scene; we are delighted at the amazing response we have had from these great comedians in the interest of fighting every day monotony and the forces of boredom! We’re proudly saying there is nothing more entertaining than comedy. Premier League…Cricket…. Cinema… nothing beats laughter.”
In the coming months, the 24 hour comedy network and official “home of funny” is “standing up” for South African comedy and comedians by increasing the volume of local comedy programming on the channel including – for the first time – vernacular and Afrikaans’ comedy which will feature on the channel from April 2017. Among the many South African comedians you’ll see on the channel in comedy specials in the coming months are: John Vlismas, Masood Boomgard, Kwanda Radebe, Tyson Heffer, Alfred Adriaan, Jem Atkins, Deep Fried Man, Marc Lottering, Loyiso Gola and Neville Pillay.
