WHEN Covid-19 hit, it left many people unemployed.
Comedian Sipho Ntuli, popularly known as Schoolboy, said their industry is not the same post-Covid-19.
The 47-year-old from Soshanguve in Tshwane said their industry is struggling.
“It's hard to do comedy events right now because of what Covid-19 and load shedding did,” he said.
“There are comedians who are not known, and it’s so hard for them. Some of us are fortunate to get events now and then because of the brand."
Schoolboy said he used to host events, and that benefited other comedians.
“I had four casinos where I hosted shows at, and every week, comedians were sure that I would call them so they could work."
“When I get a gig now, I think about my family and don’t think about other struggling comedians. That’s what it came to be. It's everyone for themselves,” Schoolboy said.
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He said it’s also hard for them as comedians to charge for their services.
“Everyone is struggling and hasn’t recovered, even business owners, so it becomes hard when we have to tell them how much our rates are,” the comedian said.
He said they do know that the media industry is seasonal.
“There's time where it is so slow, and you struggle, and there are seasons when you are always booked and busy,” he said.
“It's worse now because when you go silent, you don’t get relevant at all."
Schoolboy said technology is also trying to take over standup comedy.
“There is a difference between TikTok comedy and standup comedy. When we do comedy as standup comedians, we need an audience unlike those who record themselves,” he said.
Schoolboy said he doesn’t have a problem with TikTokers.
“They're doing very well, and sometimes I also watch them, but it can never be like the traditional comedy,” he said.
