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The TRUE AFRICA 100 is our list of innovators, opinion-formers, game-changers, pioneers, dreamers and mavericks who we feel are shaping the Africa of today.

Carl Ncube is a Zimbabwean stand-up comedian who has performed across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, Uganda and other countries. Carl is also an accomplished trained cook and trained as a gynaecologist nurse at London South Bank University, before returning to Africa and breaking into the stand-up comedy scene with his debut one-man show BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.

He’s performed alongside Anne Kansiime and other exciting African comedians at events such as the African Comedy Festival in Adelaide and Crowne Comedy in Johannesburg.

How did you get into comedy?

My father was a comedian and used to perform at weddings for relatives and friends for free. I always wanted to get involved in comedy from a writing perspective but my friends had enough of my jokes and forced me onto the stage in 2010!

Do you think Africans have a unique sense of humour? What are the things we find particularly funny?

You will be amazed how similar we are in this world. We laugh at the same things but from different perspectives. I believe stand-up comedy started in Africa because you always get the one guy in the village who cracks people up around a fire, for example, and this has happened for hundreds of years, I’m sure. Having travelled a lot thanks to comedy, I haven’t had to adjust my jokes much because people can relate to my stories.

Who’s your African of the year?

I am going to be biased to comedy and say for a fact Trevor Noah is my African of the year!

African Stand Up Comedian or African Celebrity Chef

A photo posted by Carl Joshua Ncube (@carljoshuancube) on

Follow Carl on Twitter @CarlJoshuaNcube

Come back tomorrow for the next TRUE Africa 100 and keep up to date using the hashtag #TRUEAfrica