- Prince K and Sjika Da Thirdborn were among 20 comedians selected to perform at the Savanna Newcomer Comedy Showcase.
- Both comedians found comedy after giving up on medical careers due to academic challenges and personal fears.
- The showcase serves as a platform to discover new talent ahead of the Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards, where one newcomer will be crowned in March.
- For more news, click here.
Sometimes life’s greatest detours lead to unexpected destinations. For two standout performers at this year’s Savanna Newcomer Comedy Showcase, shattered career dreams became the raw material for comedy gold.
Smangaliso Prince Gasa (21) from Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal, and Jabulani Mshweshwe (33) from Katlehong, Gauteng, were among the crowd favourites when 20 up-and-coming comedians took the stage at The Maslow Hotel Sandton.
Both discovered their comedic talents only after their original career aspirations crumbled – one derailed by poor academic performance, the other by a phobia that made his chosen profession impossible.
The showcase, hosted by comedian Celeste Ntuli, serves as a launching pad for the 13th annual Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards next month, where only one will claim the coveted Best Newcomer title.
Among those who delivered standout performances were Smangaliso Prince Gasa from Kranskop in KwaZulu-Natal and Jabulani Mshweshwe, famously known as Sjika Da Thirdborn, from Katlehong in Gauteng.
Fear of blood and poor marks ended their dreams of becoming a doctor and a paramedic, respectively. Fortunately, both discovered they had a talent for making people laugh.
Gasa, who performs as Prince K, had always dreamed of becoming a doctor. But as his school years progressed, poor marks made it clear this dream wouldn’t materialise.
I tried to pursue related careers, such as nursing, but those plans also failed.
— Gasa
His comedy breakthrough came during a Grade 12 speech assignment. Inspired by comedian Trevor Noah’s videos, Gasa decided to incorporate jokes into his presentation.
“One day, I was told to do my last speech in Grade 12. I watch Trevor Noah’s videos, went on stage, did some jokes, and from there I said if I go to Durban, my journey would be stand-up comedy forever,” said Gasa.
After matriculating in 2021, Gasa moved to Durban to study Business Law at the Durban University of Technology, where his comedy career flourished. However, financial constraints forced him to abandon his studies.
Gasa told City Press that people like comedian Mmangaliso Mhlongo, Chevonne Strugnell-Sanders and Cassandra Garafallou of Friends of SA Comedy helped him kick-start his career.
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“Chevonne made me perform at big stages with big names. That time, [I performed with] Monde Blose, Simphiwe Shembe and Dillan Oliphant. You can’t just be booked, you have to work for your name and spread your network,” he said.
He added that Friends of SA Comedy ensured he was consistently involved in comedy gigs, and Strugnell-Sanders would sometimes drive him to performances.
He said Strugnell-Sanders and Garafallou believed in him even when he flopped on stage, adding that without his mentors, his career would not have been born.
They gave half of their lives for me to be here.
— Gasa
Speaking about what inspired his comedy, Gasa said it was largely drawn from his own experiences.
On stage, he joked about his failed dream of becoming a doctor. He explained that pain often produced stories, making comedy a coping mechanism. He added that this also helped audiences relate.
Reflecting on his experience at the Savanna Newcomer Comedy Showcase, Gasa said it meant a lot to him.
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“The experience was amazing; people were just laughing. I was in shock.”
Previous winners, including Khanyisile Ngwenya, who won Best Newcomer award last year, and Nomthandazo “Nonto R” Rubushe, who won Breakthrough Act of the Year and The Joe Mafela Award in 2023, inspire Gasa to aim for the title.
He said if he wins the award, he plans to use the prize money to pay for his tuition and return to school.
When fear becomes funny
Mshweshwe had set his sights on becoming a paramedic – until he realised his fear of blood made this career choice impossible.
He told City Press that he fell in love with comedy after attending a friend's comedy auditions in 2018.
The auditions were hosted by the Sethosa siblings – Tshepo, Dimakatso and Emeld Sista H, who own Siblings Entertainment.
“There was a workshop, and that was how I found that I was funny. After that, I did not look back. I became a comedian just like that,” he said.
“I did not know that I would become a comedian because I am shy; I am not a talkative guy.”
One thing that works for me is that my calling is to make people happy, just like my name.
— Mshweshwe
Mshweshwe, who performs mostly in isiZulu, said he was highly creative and preferred writing jokes rather than telling long stories.
The 33-year-old said he did not immediately pursue comedy full time after discovering his talent, adding that he only started taking it seriously in 2020.
He said the journey has had its ups and downs, particularly because comedy was not taken seriously where he grew up.
However, he collaborates with another comedian from his township to organise comedy shows.
Mshweshwe said his experience at the Savanna Newcomer Comedy Showcase was different from what he was used to, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt new things.
He joked that his younger brother took part in the showcase last year and did not win, and that he would like to win this year so he could rub it in.
