Entertainment Industry and stand up comedy

Celebrated South African comedian Kedibone Mulaudzi is in constant demand both as a headline act and master of ceremony across the country. His roof-tearing, witty and hilarious comedy has taken him to perform in places as far Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. 

Mulaudzi has been in the comedy industry for more six years. He is the rare species that also performs gospel comedy. His sets were recently shown on Joyous Celebration. He will be heading for New York and London in October to showcase his comedy skills.  His jokes are also featured on Kulula.com’s in-flight magazine monthly humour column.
 
Mulaudzi means business as he is not only a comedian but founder and creative of Nubreed Comedy. He started Nubreed to manage stand-up comedians, develop comedy talent and organise stand-up comedy shows. The idea to start Nubreed was ignited by the paucity black stand-up comedians and comedy venues within black communities.

Before starting Nubreed, Mulaudzi worked with various comedians, comedy organisations and promoters.

“Our first show was at Sun City Hotel and Casino in October 2004 during the Leories Advertising Awards. We had four successful shows with the support and sponsorship of Vodacom. Since then we’ve never looked back. We have been hosting weekly comedy jams at Horror Café, in Newtown for the past two years. We have been appearing at The Back Room Lounge in Pimville, Soweto, for a year now,” says Mulaudzi.

 Nubreed also runs a school of comedy where they do workshops for comedy students and upcoming comedians. They also showcase graduates’ talent at the annual Soweto Comedy Festival. The company also has one annual major show called Comedy Nine-Nine.

Mulaudzi says Nubreed clients buy live stand-up comedy from them, but their products are available in different packages namely comedy clubs and corporate shows. In comedy clubs clients pay the cover charge at the door and enjoy hot comedy for at least over two hours.

In corporate shows clients pay a lump sum for one or two comics to be performed at their premises. Companies also book them to perform during company functions for employees as well as their clients.

As the owner of a small business, Mulaudzi says with grimace that they constantly have difficulty in terms of access to finance. As a result they can’t organise big shows. They are always working on a limited budget.

Mulaudzi says his business also has a good working relationship with The Washington DC Comedy Crew. Nubreed comedians have been to the USA as the DC Crew guests and the DC Crew also visited South Africa.

What is nature of South African stand-up comedy?

Only three cities are active when it comes to stand-up comedy in South Africa. Those cities are Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. There is nothing happening in other cities. Clients buy stand-up comedy through club gigs, annual shows, corporate shows, one man shows and recorded shows on CD and DVD.

The industry’s primary market is the up-market young adults and anyone who likes comedy. The stand-up comedy in South Africa still needs to grow to be able sell CDs and DVDs just Americans do. Nubreed is contemplating to start selling their comedy DVDs in the near future.

Nubreed is currently operating as a close cooperation but plans are being made to register it as a company when the business grows. Just like any other small businesses of its kind Nubreed is still operating from a home-based office.

Asked about his plans for the future Mulaudzi said, “Our objective is to give our clients quality products and leave a lasting impression in each and every show.”

At present Nubreed is operating from Gauteng but plans are ongoing to spread the business nationally. They intend to do the same thing with the school too.