Comedy lovers are in for a treat. After his stellar performance at the recent star-studded Blacks Only Comedy Show at the Pro Ticket Dome, Sifiso Nene is ready to front his own show.
It was initially titled "The Taxi Driver," but Nene decided on a name change when he decided to invite fellow comedians Mpho Popps, Tumi Stopnonsons and Siya Seya aboard. And so "The Taxi Driver & Passengers" concept was born, where four of Mzansi’s top comics come together to share the hilarious moments they had in encounters with taxi drivers.
A typical day in a life of many South Africans includes an encounter with a taxi driver.
Nene said the show had been inspired by his observations of the relationship between taxi drivers and their clients.
“The observations that will be made throughout the show will be from the perspective of the passengers, other motorists and taxi drivers.
“We all have a story to tell about an encounter with a taxi driver,” said the Empangeni born-performer.
Nene’s versatility as a performer has allowed him to venture beyond the confines of comedy.
Two years ago, he played a cameo role on the popular soapie Rhythm City and the acting bug has definitely taken hold of him.
Nene is keen on expanding his acting portfolio and he’s eyeing a new role on the same show. He hopes South Africa will see another side to him.
“I was an actor before I became a comedian,” he said. “Back home in KZN, we used to do industrial theatre, where we acted out health and safety scenes to workers.”
Nene said this was an initiative pioneered by a childhood friend who died about a year ago.
The comedian said that by pursuing more acting roles, he would be paying tribute to his friend, the one who first championed his talents.
Nene could also be considered something of a triple threat. Besides being a successful comedian and a budding TV star, he is also an astute businessman. With the local comedy scene booming, he has moved into club management, taking over the Goliath Comedy Club, now called The Comedy Basement, in Braamfontein.
Nene, who’s been in the comedy game for nearly a decade, said his plan for the year was to branch out internationally - the US, in particular - but then this deal came along and he’s thrilled to take his business venture to the next level as this will open up opportunities for other comedians to do their shows.
“It has always been a dream of mine to own something tangible. Also as comedians, we have great ideas but we don’t have a place to showcase those ideas, especially for TV, because venues are expensive. These clubs will make things easier, not only for me but for the entire comedy industry.”
The 90-minute "The Tax- Driver & Passengers" show is at Silver Casino at 8pm on September 1. Tickets are R180 at Computicket.