Female, fearless, and funny. For comedians Lindy Johnson and Mbali Gudazi, these are more than descriptions; they are the qualities that fuel their punchlines and allow them to command the mic in a field that is still largely dominated by men.
The two women are on the line-up for Savanna Serves Bafunny Bafunny: South Africa’s Festival of Comedy in September. They will be joined by Trevor Noah, Eugene Khoza, Thabiso Mhlongo, Panch Gasela and Learnmore Jonasi.
Hailing from the picturesque town of Paarl, 60km northeast of Cape Town, 32-year-old Johnson says humour is a rite of passage in her family. Raised in a lively, laughter-filled household, she honed her comedic chops in an unconventional space: the church.
“Comedy is like breathing for us. You need to laugh; otherwise, we will cry,” she says.
“We love comedy as a family, and being raised in a Pentecostal culture, as youth I would always be performing and getting the mic in church.
“Even though I’m not that religious anymore, I still carry those principles with me and show off the good of my culture and talent.”
At university, Johnson entered a campus comedy competition that led to open-mic gigs at the Cape Town Comedy Club.
“Considering our economy, education was always hailed as the only way to make it,” she says.
“So, I never thought that it [performing comedy] was possible until I went to university and entered myself in the Maties Got Talent campus competition at Stellenbosch University.
“I would participate in open mic gigs, but I considered it a hobby. Then I made it my personal project to find out if I am funny outside of my circles. That’s when I went on to the Cape Town Comedy Club. But it was only when I started earning money and getting corporate gigs that I realised that this is a viable option in a way to support myself.”
Being on the line-up for the Bafunny Bafunny tour is a huge achievement for Johnson. She is not just funny — she is award-winning funny, having won the Savanna Show Us Your Apples stand-up comedy competition. Her impressive career also includes a 2015 appearance on Trevor Noah’s “Nationwild” comedy tour.
“Mbali [Gudazi] and others can all testify about the support we receive from the men in this industry because they want us to succeed — because that’s how the comedy industry works,” Johnson says.
“For me, it opens financial doors too. To pay my rent and live well. These opportunities by Savanna have always been there since my career started, and they have consistently booked me and hired me. The only way I can keep being a comedian is if I keep being paid for it.”
Gudazi, a 38-year-old engineer from Adams Mission, about 35km south of Durban, attributes her early comedic chops to her humorous and light-hearted family.
“I remember when we did not have electricity, we would do a sketch for each other; that would be me and my cousins,” she says.
“This was before I was aware you could have a career in comedy.”
Always being the funny one among her peers, while working at Transnet Freight Rail, Gudazi would MC at company events and eventually took her act to the stage.
“It was around April 2017, and I had just moved to Joburg. The gig was at Cappello restaurant in Pretoria. They used to host Wednesday comedy nights, and I was the only woman on the lineup,” says Gudazi.
“I took the courage to be on stage for the first time, but after the performance, even though I felt butterflies, I was happy. I thought, ‘I’m going to do this thing’ — I had found what I wanted to do.
“I mean, everyone says stick to engineering because you’re going to get a good pay cheque, but after the performance, I was in a space where I was asking myself if I had chosen the right career.
“Stand-up is work, but it doesn’t feel like a job. So then I decided I’m going to pursue this more. But I was not going to quit engineering. I’m a breadwinner.”
Eight years later, Gudazi is a formidable force, having garnered industry accolades and recognition, including being a two-time Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards nominee for Best Newcomer and Breakthrough Act of the Year.
After being an opening act for numerous comedians, she was inspired to host her one-woman show “Madliyidla”. Now she is about to take on her greatest challenge yet.
“I’m about to perform on the biggest stage of my career with the Savanna Bafunny Bafunny, the South African Festival of Comedy with Trevor Noah. It’s a stamp of approval that you’re doing something right. Savanna is one of the big sponsors of comedy and has given me several opportunities to perform. It means the world, and it should also be an encouragement to other female comics,” she says.
- This article forms part of a commercial collaboration with Savanna
