THERE is always time for some laughter in the company of Bongani Dube.
And the opportunity to interview Bongani, proved just that. True to his naturally funny nature, he had Southern COURIER reporter, James Mahlokwane, in stitches with his answers during their conversation.
What are your full names and how old are you?
My names are Bongani Dube. My landlord calls me “rent late guy” and my dad calls me “debit orders” and my mama calls me every day. And I’m older than Panch Gasela, but younger than Mel Miller.
Where do you stay? Where did you go to school and how old were you when you started doing comedy?
I stay wherever the next comedy booking is. So currently I am hustling in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. I want to be international. I schooled. I graduated. That’s all you need to know. I started doing comedy while I was in the womb. Apparently while my mama was pregnant she would just burst out in laughter during those long awkward silent moments in church. They thought she was really happy, or straight crazy. What they did not know is, it was me all along. Telling her jokes through the umbilical cord. That was my first mic.
What motivated you to grab the mic and try this nerve-wracking profession?
I really do enjoy making people laugh and talking publicly about my life and the crazy things that happen to me. Oh and Dave Chappelle really made me want to get into the comedy game.
How was your first time on stage in front of an audience?
The first time was nerve-wracking. I think I urinated on myself that night. At that point there was nothing scarier than just getting up and making a bunch of total strangers laugh. So it was terrible. They kinda laughed, they kinda didn’t. I spoke so fast wanting to get off the mic. It all seemed like a blur. Someone may have thrown me with a tomato. It was one of the people working in the kitchen. He did not like my joke about feet.
What do you do besides comedy? Do you have personal or other income generating projects?
I am a designer, photographer, videographer, yoga instructor, tithe offerer, backflip specialist, pencil sharpener, hustler, and T-shirt salesman. Oh and a taxi commuter. I’m a very busy man, I don’t know where I get the time to write jokes.
What are your short-term goals?
I have a one-man show that I am working on, the date will be Friday, July 29. I am moving to Cape Town for good in a couple of months. Some TV work and soon enough I want to put together a movie.
Of all things you could be good at and do, why comedy?
I am good at it. It’s in my spirit, my soul and my heart. God put me here to make people laugh. And that’s what I will do, till the end of me.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
From all the Leon Schuster movies ever made. Everybody has their opinions on them. But guess what, in order to have an opinion on something, you have to have had an experience with it somehow. I don’t know anybody who has not seen one Leon Schuster movie twice and not fallen in love with it. So that’s pretty inspirational for me.
What is your motto?
Every dog has its day.
What are the difficulties of stand-up comedy you have experienced?
Turning it into a paying sustainable career and not having to compromise who I am for it.
Now…your long-term goals?
Bigger one-man shows and a whole lot more travelling around the world. I want to buy a boat.
Lastly, what is the one thing that could make your comedy career feel complete and why?
Making R1-million will really put things into perspective for me. Why? It’s a million bucks and that’s a game changer. If I can make one, I can surely make 10.
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