Kaya Breakfast speaks to comedian Nonto R about the real cost of putting on a show, ahead of her tenth anniversary Comedy Meets Gospel event this Saturday
Katlego Sekhu
Ten years ago, Nonto R had an idea: put comedy and gospel on the same stage. This Saturday, that idea returns to the Big Top Arena at Carnival City as Comedy Meets Gospel: A Decade of Laughter, featuring gospel stars Rebecca Malope and Dumi Mkokstad.
Kaya Breakfast’s Fresh and Thato spoke to the award-winning comedian, MC and founder of Women in Comedy about what a decade of the show has actually cost her, financially and otherwise.
For Nonto R, the honest answer is that comedians rarely profit from their own shows.
The money goes from left hand to right hand
Putting on a show at this scale means covering venue costs, artist fees, transport, accommodation, and food, often before a single ticket is sold.
“I fund my shows from other gigs. I’ll get a private gig and then I’ll save that money and book a venue and do a show,” she said. “So the money goes from left hand to right hand. It doesn’t even go into the account anymore.”
That reality applies to every performer on the bill, not just the comedians. “I speak for all comedians when I say us doing shows is just because we love what we are doing, but we don’t get any money out of it,” she said. “You can’t say to the gospel artist to do it for God. They know they have to feed, everybody has to feed their families.”
When the venue said the numbers weren’t there
A week before the show, ticket sales were low enough that the venue raised the possibility of cancelling.
“They were like, no, if the tickets are this low a week before your event, it is not going to happen the way you are,” she said. The venue shared attendance figures from a previous, higher-profile event that had only sold 500 tickets. “That is when I cried,” she said.
She and her team decided to carry on regardless. Since then, ticket sales have picked up, including supporters buying tickets for others to attend. Nonto R said she is hoping to reach 4,000 tickets by Saturday.
Asked whether she had turned to more experienced performers like Malope for guidance, she admitted she hadn’t. “I have a fear of bothering people,” she said. Her hosts pushed back on the hesitation, urging her to make the call.
Comedy Meets Gospel: A Decade of Laughter takes place this Saturday, 26 September, at the Big Top Arena, Carnival City. Tickets are still available.
To hear the full discussion, listen to the podcast.
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