Zim’s comedy virtuoso thrills SA
IN AUGUST 2016, Ugandan entertainer Anne Kansiime came to perform in Zimbabwe for the second time.
She set a record for the highest number of people attending a comedy show in the country with well over 3500 in attendance at the giant Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
However, that record alongside the awkward but somewhat witty act from Baba Tencen, are not the only memorable things from that event. There was one other act that dazzled the audience that night.
His name is Farhan Esat. The Zimbabwe-born comedian, now based in South Africa, was not billed to perform at the show but when organisers heard he was in town, they just had to rope him in and it paid off.
The Sunday Mail Leisure tracked down the funny guy who has been cracking ribs and scooping awards in South Africa to get to know a bit more about him.
Who I am and not
“Let me start by saying, I am not from Belvedere! (a suburb in Harare populated by mostly Indians or people of Indian origin). Not that I have anything against Belvedere per se, it’s just the assumption that because of the way I look I must be from Belvedere that irks me,” said Farhan.
“Now that we have got that out the way, I can confirm that I was born and raised in Harare. I attended school at Gateway, from Grade One all the way to A-Level. As if growing up in a conservative Muslim home was not tough enough, my parents figured sending me to a Christian school for 13 years would be a good idea. Speaking of which, I am very blessed that my parents are still alive. To this day, they live in Harare with my younger sister, whom I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to convince that she was adopted.
“After completing my A-levels, I moved to South Africa in 2003 to study a Bachelor of Business Science degree at the University of Cape Town. I completed my degree with Honours in Information Systems in 2006, at which point I relocated to Johannesburg to start working for a top management consulting firm,” he said.
How the comedy business began
“While at junior school, my dad forced me to do public speaking and give speeches at family gatherings. At the time, I hated him for it but looking back I am eternally grateful as this would prove to be the starting point for me.
“But it was only once I moved to Johannesburg that I started watching live stand-up comedy, lots of it. People would see me so often at shows they thought I was one of the comedians,” recalled Farhan.
He says the impact of stand-up comedy on his life was significant enough to get him interested in becoming a comedian.
“What inspired me to make the move from seat to stage was the impact watching stand-up comedy was having on my life. On one level, as I would go about my day-to-day activities, I would recall or encounter something a comedian had spoken about and would laugh again.
“On a deeper level, comedians tackle questions and subjects that are generally avoided and considered taboo. Some of the things they said would force me to re-examine my own beliefs and in some instances even change them. I thought yes, this is what I want to do; something that will allow me to have a real and positive impact on people.
“So one night in December 2012 with a push from a friend, South African comedian Jason Goliath, I stepped onto stage for the first time, and took to it like a duck – scratch that – like a border jumper to water and that was the beginning of my journey,” revealed Farhan.
To date, he has performed at numerous events in his short career with highlights being an opening act for Carl Joshua Ncube’s “Feel Good Zimbabwe” (2014) and Riaad Moosa’s “Best of” (2015), making it to the semi-finals of the Montreux/Swiss International Comedy Competition (2014 and 2015), and performing at the Kings & Queens of Comedy at the Sandton Convention Centre, among many others.
“I was nominated as the Best Newcomer of the Year at the South African Comics Choice Awards for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016).
“Through comedy, I have got to go to places that I wouldn’t normally have gone to and got to meet people that I wouldn’t normally have met. Comedy has fundamentally changed my life.”
Breakthrough and best show
The comedian says winning the Best New Comer of the Year at the South African Comics Choice Awards was the biggest break he needed to enter Mzansi’s comedy scene.
“The biggest break for me to date was being nominated as Best Newcomer of the Year at the South Africa Comics Choice Awards in 2015. I had been putting in a lot of time and effort, and the nomination served as validation from the comedy industry that I was headed in the right direction.
“In terms of my greatest show, I have had some really incredible ones. One that sticks out, however, was my performance at the South Africa Comics Choice Awards ‘Newcomer Showcase’ in 2015.
“It was on a Sunday evening, Soweto Theatre, the show was sold out, completely full with some people sitting on the stairs and in the aisles to watch 20 comedians, allotted five minutes each. That was easily one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
I went out guns blazing and the audience were with me every single step of the way.”
Farhan also cherishes performing at the HICC alongside Anne Kansiime.
“Performing alongside Anne Kansiime at the packed HICC was incredibly special for me. I am based fulltime in Johannesburg and while not scheduled to be on the line-up, I happened to be in Harare for a family wedding at the time and the promoters called me in to perform.
“The response I received from the audience that night was beyond my wildest dreams. The house lights were off so while I couldn’t see the entire audience, they certainly made their presence known through their laughter, it literally shook me to the core. Absolutely phenomenal.”
Thoughts on South African comedy scene
“The comedy scene in South Africa is absolutely booming right now. I believe the success of Trevor Noah has had a lot to do with this. People and organisations are realising and embracing the full value that comedians can bring to the table, it’s almost impossible nowadays to open a South African newspaper or magazine, or turn on the radio or television without hearing or seeing a comedian. Also, more comedy nights/ venues are opening up and becoming more prominent across the country,” said Farhan.
However, although the genre is booming, the award-winning act says that entering into the game might be easy but staying in it is no easy task.
“While it’s an easy industry to get into, it’s extremely difficult to stay in; of the 20 or so people that started comedy around the same time I did, there are only three of us still standing. I can attribute my success in this highly competitive environment to a strong work ethic, I am Zimbabwean after all; and a high degree of professionalism and persistence.
“From day one, I have also made a concerted effort not to limit myself and to perform to as many different types of audiences as possible. This has meant that I am able to move easily within and across the racial and socio-economic divides that are so prevalent in South Africa.”
Where is Zimbabwe missing it?
“I first performed in Zimbabwe in July 2014 and then most recently in August 2016. I stand to be corrected but from what I have observed, there hasn’t been much growth during this time. Quite simply, I believe that people need to support local comedy more.
“They came out in numbers for the Anne Kansiime show but local comedians struggle to fill even a small theatre. Some of the local comedians that I have had the opportunity to work with are all very talented individuals that can hold their own in South Africa and abroad. These include the likes of Carl Joshua Ncube, Q The Boss, Comrade Fatso, Doc Vikela, Simba the Comic King, Andrew Manyika and Long Jon.
“But in order for them to grow and reach their full potential, they ultimately need local support. It seems to happen everywhere, there is this belief that foreign talent automatically equates to better. That’s not necessarily true. Support local first,” lamented Farhan.
Future prospects
“My focus for 2017 is growth, becoming bigger and better, both in terms of honing my craft or my body of work, as well as performing in towns and cities in Southern Africa where I have not yet been,” revealed Farhan.
The comedian says he is looking forward to performing in Swaziland this April and develop his own 60-minute one man show.
“I have been invited to perform at the inaugural Swaziland International Comedy Festival in April and am really looking forward to that.
I am also working towards my first one man show, a one hour special, which I intend to bring to Harare in the not too distant future, so please keep an eye out.”