Online Reporter
“The late Cal_vin, for example, had his rebirth through stokvels, where we had to reach out to people. So this cross-pollination actually worked well for most acts who came through the stage,” Sibanda said.
As Umahlekisa searched for survival, collaboration became one of its most important tools.
The club deliberately fused comedy with other art forms and partnered with musicians and performers who already commanded loyal audiences.
“Comedy crowds were not really there, so we had to steal crowds from somewhere,” Sibanda said.
“Collaborations with Djembe Monks helped us a lot. Having champions like Djembe Monks coming onto the show, collaborating with the likes of Cal_vin, Novuyo Seagirl and others helped us a lot.
“The late Cal_vin, for example, had his rebirth through stokvels, where we had to reach out to people. So this cross-pollination actually worked well for most acts who came through the stage,” Sibanda said.
As the brand expanded, Umahlekisa also became more intentional about its image. The club recognised that if comedy was to attract corporate sponsors and high-profile personalities, it had to distance itself from the perception that comedians were simply foul-mouthed hecklers trading insults.
“It’s difficult for people to sponsor comedy and we had to remove the stink of comedy being all about insults. We had to sanitise the way we brand our shows.
“The sanitisation of the shows and the brand of comedy has just made it better and has allowed us to attract better sponsors. It has given space for brands to come join us, and it has helped get bigger personalities to join in,” Sibanda explained.
That rebranding has paid dividends. Today, Umahlekisa hosts polished productions that blend comedy with poetry, music and theatre, while also providing a launchpad for emerging talent. Many younger comedians now enter an industry with clearer pathways than existed a decade ago.
“The more comedians get better, the more they start doing their own shows and you can look now, the quality of the newcomers and comedians has improved from where we were. There’s now a base of comedians in the country unlike before, when there was mostly street comedy.”
Despite its growing stature, Umahlekisa still faces the realities of operating in a difficult economic environment. Van Moyo admitted that funding remains one of the club’s biggest hurdles.
“Funding has been a big challenge because of a lack of funding or poor funding. It’s been necessary to push harder and achieve those goals,” he said
Sibanda echoed those sentiments, revealing that much of the organisation’s work is still self-funded.
“We’re still a self-funding organisation. We don’t have or use donor funds, and most of the corporate funding has been for the basics. For the bulk of the shows, the heavy lifting still remains on our side,” he said.
Yet even with those obstacles, the club continues to evolve. What began as a survival project for a handful of comedians has slowly transformed into a cultural institution that sees itself as both entertainer and civic actor.
“We’ve also become, I think, sort of a public relations tool for people, because then people can come and use comedy to make friends and all of that,” Van Moyo said.
“We also believe we can use comedy to make the elders in our society accountable using humour. As we know, humour is a soft communication tool that can be used effectively when applied correctly.”
For Sibanda, however, the journey is still only beginning.
