Funny side of Veeplaas goes viral
Comedy series about life in crime-hit township takes internet by storm, notching up 400 000 views
A web series documenting the funny side of a crime-ridden Veeplaas in Port Elizabeth has taken the internet by storm, with one episode watched more than 200 000 times already.
Simphiwe Stofile, 29, who works as a warehouse operator during the day, hopes to put his township on the map with his series, Veeplaas Comedy, prokosi duced from his two-bedroom house. The series revolves around mischievous Mawawa, 11, who has an odd relationship with his alcoholic father, Dlangisa, 43.
Then there is the nosy neighbour Mpehle, 40, with the three finding themselves in odd situations that always end up ridiculing township life.
Somangaye Msetu, 11, acts as Mawawa, with Dlangisa and Mpehle played by MandlenGerman Speelman, 28, and Xolani Govani, 27, respectively.
While episode four has been viewed just more than 200 000 times, the total for the series is at 400 000.
“My dream is to make money for Veeplaas, to show people we are not a just a place that has high crime,” Stofile said.
Episode four was the hardest to film, according to Stofile.
“We shot the video with a camera that does not have an LCD screen so I could not see the person I was filming.
“After shooting at night, I realised that we had not actually recorded anything.”
“We then decided to shoot another day. We shot with a different camera which also does not have a viewing screen, but all the angles were off.”
Third time round, Stofile used his cellphone.
“This compromised the quality of the video because of the bad lighting, but I decided to upload it anyway.
“I could not believe how people responded. When I woke up in the morning we had over 10 000 views, which I had never anticipated,” he said.
Stofile’s passion for directing and producing started when he was young, but he acted on his interest only in 2016.
“I decided to do my first movie Kuyoze kubenini kunje eKasi – When will things change in Veeplaas, which was meant to show the harsh realities of living there, but that movie fell flat as I had no equipment, staff or funds. But I did not give up on my dream and I continued to buy equipment with any extra money left from my small salary,” he said.
Somangaye, of Funimfundo Primary School, said people recognised him from the show.
“People call me by my character’s name and its fine because I like what I am doing, but when grow up I want to be a policeman,” he said.
My dream is to make money for Veeplaas, to show people that we are not a just a place that has high crime Simphiwe Stofile