HARARE - The comic industry is finally getting recognised by the arts industry as seen by the recent winning of the Outstanding Comedian Award by Simba-the-Comic King.
The comedy award was introduced last year.
Born Simba Kakora, Simba the Comic King has been working hard and the work has paid off as seen by his landing the national award.
“It means a lot for me because I have now been exposed on a national level. I am glad to see that everything I have done in the past few years is being appreciated,” he said.
He won the award for his act, Hakeem vs Pistorious and was competing against, Ntando the General who had been nominated for the comedy Clips.
Last year the award was won by Carl Joshua Ncube who came to the comedy platform to revolutionarise it.
Before that the comedy sector had the likes of Edgar Langeveldt but was slowly dying because of the economic meltdown as well as a lack of innovation on the comedians’ part.
Ncube burst onto the scene in 2011 and has performed at various regional performs including incountries like South Africa, Uganda, Kenya and has also platforms at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York, USA.
Simba the Comic King is among the first pioneers of the Simuka Comedy Club.
Simuka was launched in 2011 and has seen the emergence and rise of top comedians including Doc Vikela, Michael K, Clive Chigubu, Q the Boss, Comrade Fatso, Ntando Moyo and others.
Local comedy has been on the rise especially looking at the way they have been holding shows, even with little support from promoters, the comedians have used the little that they have and are hugely dependent on their ever growing fan base to support them.
Lately Doc Vikela went to perform in South Africa in early February. About the performance he said, “Putting Zimbabwean and South African stand-up comedy in juxtaposition, the difference is that the South African comics know that what sells is relevance so they are well researched, for them it is actual work, they have better exposure and of course they have a better economy.
“After this whole experience, Simuka Comedy is the first beneficiary. I have learnt that there are unique ways of administering comedy. And this year, we are going to take Zimbabwean stand-up comedy to a whole new level”.