It's comedy or nothing for rising funnyman Keketso Hutamo

Rising star Keketso Hutamo says that growing up he believed comedy was something you watched on television, but didn’t follow as a career. 

However, the 26-year-old has made stand-up comedy his profession, and has been nominated for the Savanna Newcomer Award, duking it out with Daniele du Plessis, Ngosa Kangwa, Khanyisile Ngwenya and Wesley King for top honours.

The winners of the 12th annual Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards will be announced on  Saturday at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City in Joburg. “I’m a young kid from the streets of Vosloorus in the East Rand. When you dive deeper into the area, there is a kasi called Extension 28 – that’s where I mushroomed from,” Hutamo says.

“I grew up watching a lot of comedy shows and stand-up comedians. I just didn’t know that I would become a comedian one day. I later took my interest seriously and attended one of my first stand-up shows in 2018. It was my first time, and I remember going home and saying to myself, ‘That’s what I want to do’.”

The first validation of Hutamo’s comic skills came from his parents and later his friends at university. “I then thought, ‘OK, if people who don’t really know me are suggesting the same thing as people who know me, I guess it’s something that I should look into’; and that’s when I started.

“The first people to tell me I was funny were my parents. I used to make jokes at home, and from how they would laugh, it kind of stamped the idea that I am funny. However, the person who really influenced my comedy route is Trevor Noah. He was the first comedian I saw live. I also got influenced by watching comedians on television, and my main influence was Kevin Hart.”

Hutamo doesn’t take his nomination in the coveted category for granted. “It feels good to be recognised,” he says.

“It validates that I am putting in the work, and there will be rewards; they just may not be now. It took me a while to build myself and for my presence to be felt. Just like any other industry, success can take longer than expected. I would say, only in 2022 did I start to be recognised and seen.

“I hosted my own comedy shows at a lounge in Vosloorus attended in numbers. I’m hosting a comedy show on May 28 called Diluted Comedy alongside Skhumba Hlophe and Stopnonsons. I will be celebrating the leap that I took in the comedy scene seven years ago. The shows I hosted every Wednesday built my confidence, I got affiliated with a lot of comedians, which has landed me where I am today.”

For Hutamo, it’s comedy or nothing. 

“I MC at weddings and corporate gigs, and I am also a hype-man at festivals or events. I’m going to bump up my rate should I walk away with an award this Saturday,” he jokes.

“Like, they say, ‘Yesterday’s price is not today’s price’.”