Local comedian makes it big

KWAZULU-NATAL comedian Nomthandazo Rubushe, who goes by the stage name, Nonto R, has made big waves in the comedy space and shares the stage with nationally renowned comedians. From humble beginnings, the award-winning comedian has peacefully found her space and continues to go bigger.

She made her debut in 2016 when she discovered her talent while MC-ing at a 21st-birthday-party celebration. She was recently awarded with the Breakthrough Act of the Year, as well as the Joe Mafela Award which celebrates comedy in vernacular languages.

Nonto has also been nominated for a third accolade in the category, Best Comedy Festival or Show Award, for her comedic platform, the Women in Comedy Show.
The 30-year-old has made strides in IsiZulu comedy, going from no gigs to being booked and busy as she prepares for one of Durban’s biggest comedy shows.

Nonto shares her story of how she discovered her passion for comedy. “In December 2016, I was MC-ing a 21st-birthday-party for my church, so I had just researched on things that relate to the youth. When I was doing my delivery, people were laughing – like rolling on the floor with laughter – so that’s how I discovered that, ‘Oh, so I can do stand-up comedy’.”

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Nonto said her journey to comedy was not an easy one as she had tried a lot of things and found them unfulfilling. “I studied a whole lot of things because I didn’t know where I exactly fitted. So, I studied journalism, I did youth development which I’m still passionate about – uplifting young people – I did a whole lot of things, and I would get jobs. Maybe six months later, I would quit because it was not feeding me spiritually, and I didn’t feel like I was adding value to it. And then people in the community would talk – they would ask my parents, ‘Why are you letting her quit this job because it was so good – it was paying her well?’, but there was just something missing inside of me, and I didn’t know where I belonged,” she said.

The comedian said that though her first time on stage was nerve-racking, it felt like home, and it was something she wanted to do again. “So, the first time I did this, I was like, ‘Okay, this is it!’ So it’s as if, now, I have purpose. I can have a conversation with anyone, the president, anyone. It’s like I feel I deserve to be amongst anyone else in the world regardless of what you do and who you are, and comedy is what gave me that because if you can make anyone laugh, it means that intellectually, I relate to them or anyone can relate to me intellectually, and that is a powerful thing that you can get from God.”

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Nonto’s challenges she encountered in the industry inspired her to create a platform for other comedians. “I fell pregnant, and I saw a decrease in gigs. That motivated me to start a Women in Comedy Show. So, I started that, and some of the people started performing in my Women in Comedy shows, and now they are everywhere, performing. My goal for women in South African comedy is just to create more platforms for other upcoming comedians who are not known to come up.”

Nonto said her goal is to go international as she believes she has a lot more to offer, not only in Durban and nationally but internationally, as well.

Nonto’s next comedy show will be on June 10 at the Playhouse in Durban. The Durban Top Comedy Show will see KZN’s biggest act sharing the stage. Tickets are available on WebTickets at R220 or R250 at the door. For more information, you can contact 081 382 1471.

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