GOING VIRAL
Meet the Prank Master
ON the 10th of February, a video of an animated young lady publically dressing down her boyfriend who had just proposed was shared across the world.
The setting was Nswazwi Mall in Francistown, and the lady could clearly be heard ordering her embarrassed boyfriend to get up and look for employment before thinking about going down on one knee.
The video trended in South Africa, Nigeria, UK, Zambia and made it to a lot of online publications.
A day later, it turned out the scene was a prank from Botswana’s fastest-growing entertainer, Given Carter Ncube.
The video was followed up by another hoax to celebrate the return of alcohol last week, in which a lady confronts her boyfriend for buying another woman a six-pack of beer. Again, the convincing, expertly acted sketch was completely made up.
Ncube, a 32-year-old Tonota born Fireman/funnyman, is the latest social media craze.
Currently based in Francistown, Ncube has always been an entertainer. In fact, those close to him say his recent rise and recognition comes as no surprise.
“Most people became aware of my existence in 2021 after the two prank videos, but I’ve been around,” the crafty creative told Voice Entertainment in an exclusive interview shortly after his latest stunt.
According to the prankster, his artistry dates back to his primary schooling days where he was a member of the Drama club.
“I eventually joined Ghetto Artists where I honed my acting skills,” said Ncube, with the assurance that the interview was not a prank.
The giggly Ncube said in 2015 he studied photography and videography and pursued a parttime job documenting parties, weddings, and corporate events.
“I was doing a lot of videos covering all these events and my passion for acting was awakened. I’d later spend most of my time on Youtube trying to find inspiration and concepts.”
Realising that almost everyone was doing the same thing locally, Ncube decided to bring something different.
“Pranks are not a new concept, but no one was pulling them locally so I decided to try it out. The Nswazwi video was our first production and it did well, beyond our expectations.”
He describes his pranks as ‘you won’t see it coming’.
“It is so real. You won’t even recognise me. I’ve a team of youngsters in both Francistown and Gaborone who also see this as an opportunity to advance their acting skills,” he said.
Carter said the two videos have given him hope that there’s a need for his kind of craft.
“Batswana and the world in general, need something to laugh about. The human race is going through a tough time right now. The immense support I got from fellow Batswana and the rest of the world has encouraged me to think along the lines of having a dedicated Youtube Channel. My inbox is full of messages from people who want to work with me. I’m still building a platform but very soon we’ll have our own channel,” promised Ncube.
The young actor-cum-producer said they’re also aware of the dangers of pulling pranks on unsuspecting members of the public.
“We always make sure there’s enough security to ensure that no one is harmed. Safety is key to this kind of thing, and danger is the first thing we eliminate,” he said.
So, when can we expect the next prank?
“You won’t see it coming,” laughed Ncube.