Bafunny Bafunny, South Africa’s national team of comedy, served by Savanna, has welcomed an ‘international transfer’ to the team.
Get ready for a world-class live comedy experience that brings together the country’s newest and biggest names in stand-up for an unforgettable night of laughter.
South Africa’s international comedy king Trevor Noah captains the team with a formidable line-up. Noah’s core mission for founding the festival is to treat local stand-up with the same infrastructure, massive production value, and intense patriotic energy usually reserved for the country’s major sports matches. Alongside Vice Captain Eugene Khoza and Coach Ntosh Madlingozi, Noah designed this extended, sport-style season to give both iconic veterans and emerging continent-wide powerhouses a world-class platform, proving that homegrown African comedy is a premium-tier product capable of dominating any global stage.
And as the excitement grows for the squad, a new addition is set to keep up the pace:
Transfer Centre can confirm: Trevor Noah, Captain and Curator of South Africa’s National Team of Comedy, has secured the coveted international roster slot for South Africa’s Festival of Comedy, served by Savanna. Welcome to the squad: Learnmore Jonasi – Zimbabwe’s breakout star who has been turning global stages into his career highlight reel. He joins a line-up of South Africa’s best and emerging comedic talent for a national comedy tour landing in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban this September.
THE TRANSFER TUG-OF-WAR: It wasn’t a quiet signing. Interest came in fast from across the global comedy circuit, with plenty of “last-minute offers” flying around. But Learnmore chose the call-up that mattered: a national team built on promise and parody, an audience that thrives on humour, and a schedule that reads like a victory lap. And yes, we’ve also heard the rumours about the deciding factor being a guaranteed supply of crisp, ice-cold Savanna Premium Cider. We can’t confirm that. But we also can’t deny it.
THE PROFILE & STATS: Standing well over six feet tall, Jonasi brings big energy and a style of comedy that catches audiences off-guard in the best way.
- Homeground: From Chimanimani, Zimbabwe to the world.
- Signature Move: Stands tall, holds the room, and lays up laughs for everyone else to finish.
- Appearances: America’s Got Talent Top 5 Finalist, Golden Buzzer recipient, winner of the 2023 Boston Comedy Festival, and the 2023 audience choice at the Jersey City Comedy Festival.
SOUTH AFRICA’S FESTIVAL OF COMEDY: Savanna Serves South Africa’s Festival of Comedy (SAFC) – a platform that treats stand-up like a sports event: same energy, same pride, same DNA… with punchlines that make it truly RSA.
In its first year, the SAFC takes the shape of a live comedy tour – not a traditional comedy festival, but a national call-up to our most reliable South African superpower: laughter.
THE FULL BENCH & MANAGEMENT ROSTER: Behind the international signings and the heavy-hitting headliners, the National Team of Comedy relies on a tactical management duo steering the talent from the sidelines:
- Vice Captain: Eugene Khoza – Keeping the structure tight and the timing sharper than ever on the pitch.
- Team Coach: Ntosh Madlingozi – Drawing up the playbook and pushing the boundaries of local storytelling.
- Players: Mbali Gudazi, Thabiso Mhlongo, Lindy Johnson and Panch Gasela with the latest signing, Learnmore Jonasi
Event Details:
Pretoria: SunBet Arena (4- 5 September 2026)
Durban: The playTSOGO Globe (19 – 20 September 2026)
Cape Town: GrandWest (25- 26 September 2026)
