Trevor Gumbi’s homage to Jozi on ‘The Masked Singer SA’

Comedian Trevor Gumbi says stepping into The Masked Singer SA as the Ponte Tower was never just about wearing a disguise — it was about paying tribute to Johannesburg through music by using one of the city’s most popular landmarks as a creative symbol.

I would love to see [Ponte Tower] restored and spoken about with pride again, not fear.

—  Trevor Gumbi

Speaking to Sowetan after being unmasked as the first celebrity to exit Season 3 at the weekend, Gumbi reflected on his song choice, his connection to the iconic Ponte Tower where he once lived, and why he believes the building deserves to be viewed with pride rather than the “dark” reputation often attached to it.

Gumbi chose TKZee’s Dlala Mapantsula for his performance.

“That song is Johannesburg for me in one track...it carries that spirit of hustle and movement that Joburg is known for,” he said.

Although he grew up in Durban, Gumbi described the long-standing dream many people have of moving to the City of Gold.

“When you wear that mask, you’re not just putting on a mask, you’re becoming a character that already lives in people’s imagination,” he said.

“It’s a building people have very strong feelings about, but for me it represents the heartbeat of the city, from the chaos to the culture. It’s a mixture of everything that makes Joburg what it is.”

The Ponte Tower comes with a complicated reputation, but that complexity is exactly what drew him to the role.

“People often associate Ponte Tower with the ‘dark’ side of Johannesburg, but that’s only one chapter of its story,” he said.

“It stands tall in the middle of everything. It has history, it has character, it has life. I would love to see it restored and spoken about with pride again, not fear. Just like Johannesburg itself, it’s been through things…but it’s still standing.”

What was it like to wear the Ponte Tower costume?

“It was quite freeing, actually,” he said.

“No one knows who you are, so you’re not performing as ‘Trevor Gumbi the comedian’, you’re just performing. You arrive fully covered, and suddenly you’re anonymous in a way that public life never allows. That anonymity lets you focus on the character, not your reputation.”

For a comedian known for his voice, humour, and timing, the biggest challenge was unexpectedly a simple one — not being able to speak.

“As a comedian, your voice is everything: timing, delivery, presence,” he said.

“On The Masked Singer, all of that is taken away from you. You have to express yourself physically and musically without giving anything away. It made me realise how much I rely on speaking as part of my identity.”

Although he would have liked to stay longer in the competition, Gumbi said that being the first celebrity to be unmasked was an advantage.

“Now I get to sit back and enjoy the show properly without hiding anything. The mask comes off, and life goes back to normal, except now people know I once lived in Ponte Tower,” he said.

Gumbi admitted he was surprised that Somizi Mhlongo correctly guessed his identity.

“The bigger question is how does Somizi know my body so well?” he laughed.

“Most of me was covered, but he still got it right. I’ve worked with Mpho Popps and Skhumba [Hlophe], who know me far too well, but they still didn’t guess correctly; Somizi did. Maybe we need to recruit him for the Madlanga commission.”

Sowetan