Savanna Premium Cider Appoints Trevor Noah as Captain of South Africa’s National Team of Comedy
- Trevor Noah, Savanna's pick to shape South Africa's Festival of Comedy, proudly presented his team
- Savanna tasked the South African comedians, Eugene Khoza and Ntosh Madlingozi, with finding rising talent on the Mzansi comedy scene
- Briefly News reported live from the Savanna Serves South Africa's Festival of Comedy press conference, where Trevor Noah let South Africans know to expect
Savanna's first South Africa’s Festival of Comedy is set to revive South Africa's comedy space, starting at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria. Trevor Noah, alongside Eugene Khoza as vice-captain and Ntosh Madlingozi as coach, were Savanna's top choice to head South Africa's national team of comedy.
Source: Original
Savanna’s South Africa’s Festival of Comedy will kick off on 5 September 2026 in Pretoria at SunBet Arena and Cape Town at GrandWestCasino on 26 September. Trevor Noah, appointed as the captain of South Africa's national team of comedy, curated a lineup set to reflect Mzansi's special relationship with humour.
Following a meteoric rise as a South African comedian on the American scene, who better than Trevor Noah to revive the state of Mzansi comedy? Trevor Noah will act as the official captain of South Africa’s Festival of Comedy alongside comedian and What Now podcast co-host Eugene Khoza as vice-captain and MC Ntosh Madlingozi as coach. The trio identified the comedians who are making waves to be part of South Africa’s Festival of Comedy (#SavannaSAFC). Trevor said:
"We want to expose you to comedians you didn't know you loved."
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Echoing Trevor’s sentiment, Eugene added that #SavannaSAFC is a "renaissance of South African comedy."
Who is performing at South Africa’s Festival of Comedy
Trevor Noah made it clear that the comedy festival is not a talent search. The comedian and his co-captains put their heads together as Savanna continues to champion fresh talent on South Africa's comedy scene, and identified rising comedic talent in South Africa. Eugene shared the names who made the team for #SavannaSAFC starting in Pretoria: Lindy Johnson from Cape Town, Mpumalanga's Thabiso Mhlongo, Panch Kasela from Gauteng, and Mbali Gudazi from KZN. Watch Trevor Noah and team discussing #SavannaSAFC:
#SavannaSAFC will bring some American talent to South Africa's shores, but the focus is on Mzansi. Trevor Noah highlighted that the point of the festival is to expose South Africans to comedians they may not know but will love. Trevor said:
"We used to be a place even Americans looked to for comedy, we do not need to only find the value in something just because it is American."
How can I attend South Africa’s Festival of Comedy?
The #SavannaSAFC tickets go on sale on 29 April 2026 on Quicket, and the line-ups will be customised for the region. The trio is set to announce more dates and venues for #SavannaSAFC performances and street pop-ups between May and September. Trevor expressed excitement that the comedy festival will bring the magic back to South African comedy.
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#SavannaSAFC promises a curated show of South Africa's sense of humour shaped through all the good and bad times over the decades. Tasked with finding the funniest among the population, Trevor Noah and his co-captains are confident that they can take South Africans down a memory lane full of laughter.
Comedian earns award nomination
Briefly News previously reported that Sjika Da Thirdborn is one of the latest standout talents recognised on South Africa's comedy scene, as Savanna continues to provide a vital platform for icons and rising stars to showcase their comedic talent. The comedian may be up for a major win in his career after landing a nomination in the 13th Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards.
Briefly News sat down with Sjika Da Thirdborn, one of the five nominees for the Newcomer of the Year award. His name is inspired by his position as one of three siblings. Despite being a full-time comedian now, comedy was never really on his radar, as he grew up in a serious family
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
