Loyiso Gola

Loyiso Gola
Gola in 2011
Born	(1983-05-16) 16 May 1983 (age 41) Gugulethu, Cape Town, South Africa
Medium	Stand-up, television
Nationality	South African
Years active	2002–present[1][2]
Genres	Satire, parody[3]
Subject(s)	South African politics[3]
Relative(s)	Lazola Gola (brother)
Notable works and roles	Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola

Loyiso Gola (born 16 May 1983) is a South African stand-up and TV comedian. He is the co-creator and anchor of the late-night satirical news television series Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on e.tv and eNCA, launched in 2010, and has performed internationally.

Early life and education

Gola is Xhosa,^[4][5] and was born on 16 May 1983^[2][6] in the Cape Town township of Gugulethu.^[7][8][9] He moved away from Gugulethu at the age of 14,^[7][10] and attended Zonnebloem Nest Senior School in Woodstock.^[11][12][13]

Gola describes himself as "very reserved and shy" before his exposure to comedy. After performing a stand-up opening act for comedian Marc Lottering at his high school, his drama teacher introduced him to the Cape Comedy Collective at the age of 17. He subsequently job shadowed stand-up comedians from the comedy troupe for a school work experience programme and began performing on stage regularly with the group.^{[1][4][13][14]}

He matriculated in 2002,^[12] and won the Sprite Soul Comedy Tour in December of the same year,^[15][16] after which he relocated from Cape Town to Johannesburg.^[17]

His younger brother Lazola Gola is also a comedian.^[18]

Career

His television career began with appearances on SABC 1 in the Phat Joe Live talk show in 2002,^[7] and subsequently on the SABC 1 Pure Monate Show sketch comedy series created by comedians David Kau and Kagiso Lediga in 2003.^[4][14][19]

In 2007 he became the co-host of the SABC 2 Dinner with the President talk show created by Pieter-Dirk Uys, playing the role of the black grandson of the satirist's alter ego Evita Bezuidenhout.^[19][20]

In 2010 he became the host of the Late Nite News satirical series he co-created with fellow comedian Kasigo Lediga,^[21] which aired on e.tv and eNCA.^[22][23]

Gola has performed stand-up comedy in various one-man shows on the South African comedy circuit since 2006,^[24] as well as in several international comedy festivals.^[13]

On 21 January 2022 he appeared on the BBC1 programme Would I Lie To You?, series 15, episode 3.^{[citation needed]}

Recognition

Gola won the Best Breakthrough Comedy Act South African Comedy Award for his 2007 one-man show Loyiso Gola for President, which coincided with the run-up to the election of a new leader of the African National Congress who would ultimately become the President of South Africa.^[7][24][25]

In 2012 Gola was named one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, in the Media & Film category.^[26] Men's Health describes Gola as having "divisive mass appeal" due to the openly critical nature of his humour, and being "a genuine thinker masquerading as a fool and the reluctant voice of a cynical generation".^[4]

Late Nite News was nominated for an International Emmy Award for best comedy series in 2013.^[27]

One-man shows

• I'm Frank (2006)^[24]
• Loyiso Gola for President (2007)^[24]
• Coming Home (2010)^[17]
• Life & Times (2011)^[1]
• Professional Black (2012)^[28]
• Loyiso Gola Live (2013)^[29]
• State of the Nation Address (2014)^[30]

Filmography

Film

• Bunny Chow Know Thyself (2006)^[28]
• Outrageous (2010)^[17][31]
• Copposites (2012)^[28]
• Catching Feelings (2017)

Television

• Phat Joe Live (2002)
• The Pure Monate Show (2003)
• Dinner with the President – co-host with Pieter-Dirk Uys (2007)
• Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola – host (2010-)
• Comedy Central Presents Loyiso Gola Live at Parker's (2012)^[32]
• BBC Live at The Apollo (2018)
• Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains (2024)^[33]

Awards

• 2002 – Winner of Sprite Soul Comedy Tour
• 2007 – South African Comedy Award – Best Breakthrough Comedy Act for Loyiso Gola for President
• 2014 – The Savanna SA Comic's Choice Award – Comic of the Year Award^[34][35]

References

1. Newman, Latoya (28 February 2012). "Long live President Loyiso Gola!". IOL Tonight. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
2. Musila, Grace A. (2014). "Laughing at the Rainbow's Cracks". In Obadare, Ebenezer; Willems, Wendy (eds.). Civic Agency in Africa: Arts of Resistance in the 21st Century. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer Ltd. pp. 147–166. ISBN 9781847010865. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
3. Ghomeshi, Jian (22 July 2013). "Loyiso Gola satirizes South Africa". CBC. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
4. Schutters, Lindsey (19 June 2014). "Loyiso Gola Pulls No Punches". Men's Health. Rodale Inc. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
5. "The 10 best ... live events of the week". City Press. South Africa. 28 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
6. "Loyiso Gola". TVSA. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
7. Maubane, Mohlomi (2007). "Johannesburg Kultcha : Kultcha / Interviews – Loyiso Gola". Johannesburg Live. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
8. Huisman, Biénne (10 November 2013). "Loyiso Gola: Going back to his roots". City Press. South Africa. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
9. "Gola's the hottest ticket in town". Cape Times. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
10. "Gola's gagging for top job". The Times. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
11. Nombembe, Philani (14 June 2012). "School's plight rattles Gola". The Times. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
12. Potgieter, Marelize (5 July 2012). "Dis sinloos om skool te sluit, sê grapjas" [It's senseless to close school, says comedian]. Die Burger (in Afrikaans). Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
13. Nicolson, Greg (6 May 2013). "In profile: Loyiso Gola". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
14. Blignaut, Charl (12 December 2010). "Laughing Stock". Times LIVE. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
15. Motaung, Sonia (18 August 2002). "Soul Comedy will have Sowetans rolling in the aisles". City Press. South Africa. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
16. "Funnyman going places". City Press. South Africa. 22 December 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
17. Henry, Zane (27 April 2010). "Comedian Loyiso's homegrown humour". IOL. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
18. Tiwane, Bonginkosi (14 November 2014). "Young Gola to speak up for all the coconuts". The Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
19. Ritz, Carly (24 November 2010). "Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola". The New Age. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
20. "Dinner with the President". TVSA. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
21. Smith, David (11 January 2013). "From Trevor Noah to Loyiso Gola: The country is cracking up". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
22. Brodie, Nechama (21 December 2010). "Late night laughs catch on". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
23. Marx, Willem (30 March 2012). "From Around the World, Your Fake News". Businessweek. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
24. Moncho, Kgomotso (30 January 2007). "Funny/Stupid". The Star. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2014 – via HighBeam.
25. "SA's funniest win awards". News24. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
26. Pritchard, Cat. "Loyiso Gola – Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans 2012". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
27. Jason, Stefanie (8 October 2013). "'Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola' nominated for an Emmy". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
28. Gadd-Claxton, Lynne (20 October 2012). "'Professional black' unveiled". The Herald. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
29. Duguid, Jonathan (22 November 2013). "Review: Loyiso Gola Live at the Baxter". EWN. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
30. Capazorio, Bianca (8 August 2014). "Our guy Gola in a fine state". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
31. Korff, Jean-Marie (12 April 2010). "Outrageous!". Channel24. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
32. "Loyiso Gola booked to headline Comedy Central Presents ... Live at Parker's". Comedy Central. 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
33. Digitalbox. "Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains New Year Special". TV Guide. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
34. "Six of the best honoured at The 4th Annual South African Savanna Comic's Choice Awards". The Savanna SA Comic's Choice Award. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
35. Roxanne (4 August 2014). "Loyiso Gola takes Comic of the Year Award!". TRUELOVE. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.

External links

• Loyiso Gola at IMDb
• Podium Comedy Merchants profile Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Loyiso Gola on Twitter