African Comedy Need Support To Catch-up-Basketmouth

One of Africa’s top standup comedian, Basketmouth, says comedy industry in Africa require more support to reach to a level other continents have accomplished. 

Speaking in an interview, Basketmouth said unlike in Western world, in some African countries comedy is not fully appreciated and that comedians struggle to get proper management and it is even hard to own necessary equipment for them to do comedy gigs.

However, Basketmouth noted that promising success of the industry happening in some countries within the continent shows that it is more necessary now that the audience should play big role of supporting African comedy to catch-up with the developed industry in other continents.

Basketmouth at one of his performances

“Comedians in the Western world are well supported. They have proper management and structure, but we don’t have that.” Noted the comedian

But he said there is promising future of the industry in Africa looking at the growing number of talented comedians across the continent, “We talk of Trevor Noah who has now reached up to a high level, and the whole world is now talking about Africa.”

We are still building, still growing but soon or later we will get there. Trust me more African comedians will be discovered and our comedy will be known around the world because we have talent good here” he said

Basket Mouth made his first time visit to Malawi on Sunday and performed at Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe.

He singled out Dalitso Chaponda, the only Malawian comedian that he know and they had worked together in Nigeria, Europe and South Africa 

“I have worked with him, he has been to Nigeria about two or three times. I did gigs which I featured him and he was one of the best in those shows”.

Basketmouth said Chaponda is also one of Comedians that made him want to come to Malawi “When he said am from Malawi, I was like Ooooh! Wow! So Malawi has talented comedians like you? So for two to three years I have been dying to come and I hope to come back over and over again.”