According to Comedy Central Africa, Carl Joshua Ncube has to be the funniest comedian Zimbabwe’s ever produced.
This was after being featured on an all-star line-up at the Comedy Central International Comedy Festival Best of Africa in South Africa, where he joined an ensemble cast of some of the best comedians in Africa.
A 2017 Ted Fellow, Carl Joshua Ncube greeted his second nomination for the Savanna Pan-Africa Comic of the Year Award with much excitement.
Speaking to Zimbuzz about his ‘double excitement’ over a second consecutive nomination comic of the year award category, it’s apparent the recognition means a lot to the Stand-up Comedian.
“I’m doubly excited to be nominated consecutively at such a big platform as it is a sign of hardworking and it’s not everyone who managed to make that list of five,” said Ncube ahead of the Awards slated for 8 September.
Basketmouth, a Nigerian comedian won the award last year, his name is also in the mix this time around as well Uganda’s Kansiime Anne and Salvador, Botswana based Zimbabwean Charles Manase to complete the nominees’ list of five.
“I have high hopes that this time around I will win this award compared to what I felt last year,” said an optimistic Ncube.
The 39-year-old has risen to be one of Zimbabwe’s top comedians and it’s no surprise CNN’s African Voices has tagged him as the new face of Zimbabwean comedy.
Ncube is based in the resort town of Victoria Falls where he is a General Manager at The Zambezi House Restaurant but that doesn’t stop him from cracking ribs of his guests.
“Everyday I do comedy to the guests at the restaurant and it has become one of the great initiatives which lure more guests,” he said.
Stand-up comedy lovers could be wondering where Ncube will be cracking ribs in the next few months.
“I am planning for a national tour and a few international shows later in the year,” he revealed.
“Comedy industry needs a lot of travelling and inter-society interaction as a way of being internationally recognized.”
For someone who has been in the business for quite some time, who does he see as the future of Stand-up comedy in Zimbabwe?
“Tinaye Wayne and Wellency Kadem are upcoming comedians who are working hard to take the industry far both locally and internationally.”
The competition organisers said it has always been the vision of The Annual South African Savanna Comics’ Choice Awards to go beyond South Africa and open the borders of the local industry to the comedy family across the continent.
“There may be many languages spoken in Africa, but it is the language of humour that connects us all,” said the organisers in a statement.
