There’s an indescribably infectious energy that comes from watching a good live show. One of my favourite events I attended last year was the Johannesburg leg of These Suits. Sitting within a sold out auditorium at the Johannesburg Theatre, two young comedians had us eating out of the palms of their hands as they tore through a 2-hour set of comedy. One of those headliners was Limpopo’s very own Tsitsi Chiumya, today’s subject.

Tsitsi Chiumya is one of the more fascinating rising voices in comedy and part of what makes him so fascinating is the breadth of his talents. He broke ground as the first black South African game design graduate from WITS University and from there he quickly found himself listed amongst Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young People in 2016. His insights in technology saw him become a staple on The Expresso Show as a tech advisor. Chiumya’s made great strides in television as a scriptwriter. His work on Puppet Nation ZA saw him collect his first SAFTA for comedy writing. All of this and I haven’t even gotten to his work as a comedian. Did I mention that he is just 24 years old?

Chiumya is a deft storyteller. He has a great understanding of current affairs as well as having the ability to break down South African stereotypes and habits across cultures and tribes, especially his own. This mix of knowledge manifests itself in what is not only hilarious live comedy but also layered and engaging storytelling. His craft as a comedian saw him land a Comics Choice Award nomination last year for Best Newcomer. It also saw him handpicked by Trevor Noah for upcoming M-Net show Nation’s Wild, a 13-part comedy series showcasing South Africa’s best upcoming comedians.

Tsitsi Chiumya is a diligent comedic trailblazer headed for greatness. You can catch him in his element on June 28^th when How We Got These Suits, his comedy show with fellow upcoming comedian Emilio Tobias, lands in Cape Town at the OBS Armchair Theatre. Get your tickets here.