28 February, 2019 - 08:04
The first episode of Showmaxs third Original, Trippin With Skhumba, premieres this Thursday, 28 February 2019, building on the success of Talis Wedding Diary, the most nominated comedy at this weekends South African Film and Television Awards, and The Girl From St Agnes, which had more launch day views than any series on Showmax ever.
In the first episode of Trippin With Skhumba, the 2018 DStv Viewers Choice Award: Favourite Comedian winner and 2017 Comics Choice Comic of the Year will hit the road in a CaraCara with Mashabela Galane for a hilarious, heart-breaking and inspiring visit to the Sepedi comedians hometown: Moletjie village in Limpopo.
Here are six things you should know about Mashabela:
#1. Hes a comedian from a village with no comedy clubs
Its hard to be what you cant see, so one of the first questions Skhumba asks Mashabela is, How did you come across comedy, because I can tell you now, theres no comedy club here?
Mashabela credits Thobela FMs Ben Maraka. He used to do skits on radio, way back in the day, says Mashabela. He had a cassette of jokes in Sepedi - and I thought I could do it too. But he didnt last because he was bewitched...
#2. Herding cows made Mashabela a better comedian
Mashabela spent much of his childhood on his dads tractor (which features prominently in the episode) or herding cows. It wasnt a piece of cake to look after those things, says Mashabela. You let them roam but if you cant find them, you dont go home. That was the rule. If you cant find the cows, you have to stay there and look for them until you find them.
He thinks herding cows has helped his career. If I cant come up with any jokes, I dont go on stage without a punchline, says Mashabela. But some people go on and embarrass themselves without punchlines. Thats how I can tell they never herded cows.
#3. Mashabela and Skhumba go way back - to when vernacular comedy was a hard-sell
Skhumba and Mashabela have known each other for at least a decade. He had long-ass dreads back then, Skhumba remembers. They met when they were both known as many more.
We were called many more on a lineup with Chris Mapane, Eugene Khoza, Kedibone Mulaudzi, and many more, says Skhumba.
Vernacular comedy was a much harder sell in those days. They always said you and I wouldnt make it because we didnt sound a certain way, Skhumba tells Mashabela in the episode. And our comedy didnt appeal to certain people.
Weve come a long way, says Mashabela. Back in the day it wasnt easy. Youd perform for R50 or a six-pack of Black Label. I used to walk from Carlton Centre to Melville and perform for a six-pack of Black Label [at Underground]...
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#4. Mashabelas dad might be a bigger fan of Skhumba than his son
Mashabelas father might have been more excited to see Skhumba than Mashabela - he certainly quoted more of his shows. I thought my dad was my biggest fan, says Mashabela. But since we got here, he hasnt mentioned a single joke of mine but he knows Skhumbas jokes.
Mashabelas mother doesnt even try deny it. He follows Skhumba more than you, she admits.
#5. Mashabela is one of South Africas best comedians
I know the country loves him, says Skhumba. Hes one of the best guys; he can easily fill up any venue.
Want proof? Mashabela won the Comics Choice Native Tongue Award in 2016, has over 300 000 followers on social media, and is the brains behind popular stand-up events like Comedy Under The Sun and Rock My Mother Tongue.
#6. Mashabela is a man of many talents
More than just a comedian, Mashabela is a South African Music Awards nominee for best kwaito album and the inventor of Rare Moringa Gin, made by Old Packhouse Distillery, which won Double Gold at the 2018 Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards.
In Trippin With Skhumba, Mashabela takes Skhumba to the distillery, in a Moringa plantation in Magoebaskloof. Skhumba teases his friend that the first time Mashabela manufactured the Moringa gin, it was like balsamic vinegar and I had no idea what you were doing.
We didnt know, Mashabela admits. All I knew was stand up comedy. He says the idea came to him when he was making Moringa juice the Pedi way in Limpopo. When I was driving back to Jozi on the N1, it started to ferment and turn into alcohol. Thats when I thought of manufacturing alcohol. From there I tried out a beer and then the gin/vinegar story... I got the hang of it slowly but surely... I feel very proud; I still cant believe it.
Premiering this Thursday, 28 February - only on Showmax
Trippin With Skhumba, Showmaxs first vernacular Original and first Original reality series, will be coming first and only to the platform from this Thursday, 28 February 2019, with new episodes weekly. In the next episode, 2018 Native Tongue winner Siya Seya will take Skhumba home to Walmer Township in Port Elizabeth, to explore more places that wont make any tourism brochures and stories that would be edited out of any authorised biographies.
Subsequent episodes will focus on Celeste Ntuli (Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal), who was the most nominated comedian with Skhumba going into the 2018 Comics Choice Awards; 2017 Native Tongue winner Salesman (Pretoria); 2016 Comic of the Year winner Tumi Morake (Bloemfontein); and 2015 Intermediate winner Schalk Bezuidenhout (Kempton Park, Gauteng). The first season will end with an hour-long stand-up special, featuring Skhumba and his guests, as well as one new comedian from each hometown visited.
Trippin With Skhumba is directed by Vincent Moloi, who helmed the 2018 Best Drama SAFTA winner Tjovitjo and also took home Best Documentary Director last year for Skulls of My People. The series is being produced for Showmax by Diprente (the production company behind this years box office hit Matwetwe; the Netflix film Catching Feelings;
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28 February, 2019 - 08:04 
