Catch Khanyisa’s wry insight
JOBURG-based stand-up comic Khanyisa Bunu, known for her wry observational comedy, is performing for the first time at the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival from July 9 to August 5 at the Baxter Theatre.
The award-winning comic was a school teacher for 11 years in Whittlesea in the Eastern Cape before she took the plunge into comedy.
In a decade in the comedy business, Bunu has hit high notes and continues to do so. Her career was jump-started in 2008 when, shortly after moving to Joburg, she entered SABC 1’s reality TV show, So You Think You’re Funny? She was placed in the top six.
In 2015, she won the Audience Choice Award at the Savanna Comics’ Choice Awards – the first woman to receive this honour. Gigs have included Kings & Queens of Comedy, Blacks Only and the Comedy Central Roast Battle in 2016. She has performed in Botswana, Nigeria and Swaziland, and at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club in New York. How is life in Joburg? I am based in Kempton Park – right next to the airport. I guess I am the one that welcomes and bids farewell to guests coming in and out of Joburg.
Can you tell us about growing up in Whittlesea and your interesting education path in the country?
I grew up in Whittlesea but I went to school all over the country. I attended lower primary school in Aliwal North, then higher primary school in Whittlesea. I then went to boarding school in Alice, and went to the University of Fort Hare in Alice; wasted some precious time there. I then completed my teaching degree at Vista University in Bloemfontein – known as University of Free State after the amalgamation of universities. After teaching for 11 years, how is life in stand-up comedy? Yes, I gave up teaching to chase my dream of becoming a stand-up comedian, but I was not worried because I knew that I still had my certificates… had things not worked out. I have been doing comedy for 10 years now. It’s not been an easy road but it has been worth it. I have recently ventured into acting. Did you initially have contacts in the comedy world or was it a matter of cold calling and making your own way? I pitched up in Joburg knowing no one but my sister, and so I squatted at her place while I was getting odd jobs to keep me going, as comedy didn’t pay me straight away. I entered So You Think You’re Funny?… my friends and family, they encouraged me as they believed I would do well.
How did the gig as one of the opening acts for Trevor Noah in his 2017 tour come about?
His manager Ryan saw me perform. It could have been at Goliaths Comedy Club (in Joburg) – amongst many other possibilities.