In recent years stand-up comedy as a form of entertainment is gaining a lot of popularity and recognition in Africa. Like actors and musicians, comedians make up the major groups of celebs across Africa and all over the world. They are beginning to gain recognition, fame, and yes, lots of money.
The art of comedy has become a lucrative business on the continent as some of these rib crackers are among the richest comedians in Africa. It’s interesting to note that African comedians are some of the top performers in the world. Trust me, they’re as entertaining as ever and can change the dullest day into an extremely enjoyable one thanks to their funny and rib-cracking jokes.
Top 10 Richest Comedians In Africa
1. Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah was born on the 20th of February 1984 and he is a South African comedian, television host, actor as well as a political analyst. He began his career in 2002 in South Africa. Today, he hosts The Daily Show, an American comedy news show which airs on Comedy Central. Trevor Noah is the wealthiest African comedian in the world. The 38 years old South African comedian has an estimated net worth of $100 million making him the richest comedian in Africa.
Noah has been honored with numerous awards which include the MTV Africa Music Award and a Primetime Emmy Award from eleven nominations. Noah was named one of The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018. In the year 2018 Times magazine named him one of the top 100 influential people around the globe.
2. Basket Mouth
Bright Okpocha better known by his stage name Basketmouth is a Nigerian comedian, actor, and producer that was born on the 14th of September 1978. He has hosted stand-up comedy shows such as Basketmouth Uncensored all over the world. He was the executive producer of the movie Ghana Jollof. The Nigerian comedian has an estimated net worth of $6.7 million.
3. Loyiso Gola
Loyiso Gola, born on the 16th of May 1983 is a South African stand-up comedian. Gola is the creator as well as the anchor of the late-night satirical television show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on e.tv and eNCA which debuted in the year 2010.
In 2012, he was named among the 200 Young South Africans, in the Media & Film category. Gola can be described as someone with divisive mass appeal owing to his open-minded humor and as a genuine thinker disguising as a fool and the reluctant voice of a cynical generation. His younger brother, Lazola Gola is also a comedian. With an estimated net worth of $6 million, he is one of the richest comedians in Africa.
4. Riaad Moosa
Riaad Moosa, born in India on the 18th of June 1977, is a South African comedian, doctor, actor, TV host, and screenwriter. The comedian is renowned as the Comedy doctor who has chosen to use humor in the place of medication to heal people. The comedian is also a talented actor as he recently starred in the movie Mandela- the long walk to freedom which is an Oscar & Golden Globe-nominated movie.
Moosa has once spent three years learning magic and he was the silver medallion winner of the College of Magic in Cape Town. He began his career as a magician and was awarded his Comedy Magic award before switching to stand-up comedy which has also won him several awards like the Comics Choice Awards and the South African Film and Television awards in 2011 & 2013 simultaneously. He combines his verbal jokes with dancing & other sorts of funny movements. Riaad Moosa is estimated to have a net worth of about $5 million.
5. I Go Dye
Francis Agoda, popularly known as I Go Dye or I Go Die is a comedian from Nigeria that was born on the 4th of April 1979. He is also a motivational speaker, writer, and social activist. He has organized a variety of international comedy events, such as I go dye Standing.
He is also well crafted in engineering as he created a projector, flying helicopter, moving hovercraft ship, and radio transmitter as a young teenager. He has won several awards such as the National Comedy Awards, TV people Golden awards, Creative Award in Africa, and many other awards. He is one of the richest comedians in Africa with an estimated net worth of about $4.3 million.
6. Nik Rabinowitz
Nik Rabinowitz is a South African and Cape Town-based actor, comedian, writer, TV host, and publisher born on the 3rd of October, 1976. He has been a guest on a variety of comedy shows which include a British Panel series Mock the Week. He is also a host on SABC where he presents the Coca-Cola Mega millions Gameshow. He is currently hosting The Week That wasn’t show. His book, South Africa: Long Walk to a Free Ride was published in the early part of 2012.
The Jewish comedian is fast becoming a big name in the comedy industry in Africa as he gets more hilarious daily. He also obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Cape Town. He prides himself on being the world’s leading Xhosa-speaking Jewish comedian. His estimated net worth of about $3 million makes him one of the richest comedians in Africa.
7. Michael Blackson
Michael Blackson was born on November 28th in 1972, in Ghana to a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother. His early years were spent in the region between Monrovia in Liberia and Ghana before moving to the US in the mid-1980s. He began to explore comedy after a colleague at Domino’s suggested that he try an open mic. He also debuted an album of comedy sketches titled Modasucka: Welcome to America.
In 2005, he was a guest on the TV show 30 Rock, P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO and featured in an advertisement on the Chappelle Show which airs on Comedy Central. Micheal Blackson has starred in prominent movies like Coming 2 America, Next Friday, Nobody’s Fool Thug, The Last Stand, and many others. He is one of the richest comedians in Africa with an estimated net worth of about $2 million.
8. Bovi
Bovi Ugboma, was born on the 25th of 1979 in Benin City, Edo State. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts at Delta State University. Bovi started his career in April 2007 as a character on the show Extended Family which was also written and produced by him. The show brought him to the limelight and by the year 2008, Bovi had become a big name in comedy shows and at events all over Nigeria. However, he got his first big break as a stand-up comedian during Nite of 1000 Laughs organized by Opa Williams.
The year 2013 was the year that he hosted his debut stand-up comedy show in the famous Eko Convention Center and he also hosted a sequel of the show in 2014. The comedian made his debut in movies as he premiered his first film It’s Her Day on the 9th of September 2016 which got him an AMVCA award nomination as the most outstanding comedian. Bovi has an estimated net worth of $1.9 million.
9. John Vlismas
John Vlismas, who was born on May 3, 1973, is a South African stand-up comedian and entertainment promoter. Vlismas bagged the South African Comedy Award for the best stand-up comedian in 2007. In the year 2010, Vlismas starred in the comedy movie Outrageous together with prominent South African comedians like Barry Hilton, Loyiso Gola, Mark Banks, Riaad Moosa, and Krijay Govender, the sole female actor in the movie however the film premiered in April 2014.
Vlismas made it onto the panel for Comedy Central Africa’s Roast of Kenny Kunene and Steve Hofmeyr. The comedian has an estimated net worth of about $1.5 million.
10. Eddie Kadi
Eddie Kadi is a British-Congolese comedian, actor, presenter, Philanthropist, and MC. He was born on the 18th of May, 1983. He has been residing in West London since 1992 where he had his primary, secondary & tertiary education. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Media Technology at Kingston University where he was the President of the Afro-Caribbean Society.
His work includes creating and producing a travel program that was telecast in the UK on Vox Africa to teach the African diaspora about the undiscovered and largely undiscovered countries in Africa. Kadi was asked to host the “Powernomics Show” the legendary tour across states which included Lauryn Hill, and Nas as headliners. The comedian has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million which makes him one of the richest comedians in Africa.
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