Although the comedy industry in Botswana is still in its infancy, more and more comedians in the country are continuing to emerge. The country already prides itself of talented comedians like Joel “Ntsoro” Keitumele and Michael “Dignash” Morapedi.
Uyapo Khuwa, a 20-year-old lad of Francistown, is another comedian who recently released a hilarious comedy DVD, Koti na Papa, a masterpiece set to take the country by storm.
Speaking to the Sunday Standard, last week, Khuwa who is based in Riverside location in Francistown, said that comedy has always been the love of his life ever since his years as a teenager.
“Comedy has always been part of my life because when I was a teenager I used to make fun of my friends and I finally decided to put my talent into something that is tangible,” he said.
Papa na Koti, a Setswana comedy stacked with humour, is about a father (Papa) who lives with his son (Koti). The two funny characters lead a cat and mouse life, with each of the two characters disrespectful of the other. The character of Papa is played by one Daniel Inela and Khuwa plays the character of Koti.
According to Khuwa the message portrayed in the comedy is that, for an elderly person to gain respect from the younger person, he or she has to give respect in order to earn the same respect.
“In Setswana we have a proverb called “Susu ilela suswana gore a tle a go ilele,” which simply means that one has to respect the younger person to also get respect,” he added.
He said that the DVD, which he released last month under his own stable (Digital Media), is already getting recognition from other areas outside Francistown, despite the fact that he has not yet done much promotion. He also said that the comedy offering has already sold over 200 DVD copies within its first month of release.
“Batswana are people who easily get bored, therefore through comedy I believe I can easily send them a message because I have realized that they love comedy,” he said.
Khuwa added that the comedy act comprises of eleven characters, most of whom his friends. He said that one of his international role model is Jim Carrey whom he described as a comedy genius.
“Jimmy Carrey has been my role model for all my life because the man is very talented and very funny,” Khuwa said.
One of the actors in the comedy, Japhet Kenneth, who plays the role of Koti’s friend, described Khuwa as a funny person who is very humorous. He added that they grew up together as friends and their shared passion led to them doing comedy.
“People should understand the fact that comedy is not all about laughter and entertainment, but it can be used as a tool of communication,” Kenneth added.
The duo concluded by urging the youth to follow their passion in whatever they do and also advised them to give education first priority before they can pursue some of their talents.
