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Loyiso Gola

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Loyiso Gola
Gola in 2011
Born (1986-05-16) 16 May 1986 (age 40)
Gugulethu, Cape Town, South Africa
Notable workLate Nite News with Loyiso Gola
RelativesLazola Gola (brother)
Comedy career
Years active2002–present[1][2]
MediumStand-up, television
GenresSatire, parody[3]
SubjectSouth African politics[3]

Loyiso Gola (born 16 May 1986) is a South African stand-up and TV comedian. He is the co-creator and anchor of the late-night satirical news television series Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on e.tv and eNCA, launched in 2010, and has performed internationally.

Early life and education

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Gola is Xhosa,[4][5] and was born on 16 May 1983[2][6] in the Cape Town township of Gugulethu.[7][8][9] He moved away from Gugulethu at the age of 14,[7][10] and attended Zonnebloem Nest Senior School in Woodstock.[11][12][13]

Gola describes himself as "very reserved and shy" before his exposure to comedy. After performing a stand-up opening act for comedian Marc Lottering at his high school, his drama teacher introduced him to the Cape Comedy Collective at the age of 17. He subsequently job shadowed stand-up comedians from the comedy troupe for a school work experience programme and began performing on stage regularly with the group.[1][4][13][14]

He matriculated in 2002,[12] and won the Sprite Soul Comedy Tour in December of the same year,[15][16] after which he relocated from Cape Town to Johannesburg.[17]

His younger brother Lazola Gola is also a comedian.[18]

Career

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His television career began with appearances on SABC 1 in the Phat Joe Live talk show in 2002,[7] and subsequently on the SABC 1 Pure Monate Show sketch comedy series created by comedians David Kau and Kagiso Lediga in 2003.[4][14][19]

In 2007 he became the co-host of the SABC 2 Dinner with the President talk show created by Pieter-Dirk Uys, playing the role of the black grandson of the satirist's alter ego Evita Bezuidenhout.[19][20]

In 2010 he became the host of the Late Nite News satirical series he co-created with fellow comedian Kasigo Lediga,[21] which aired on e.tv and eNCA.[22][23]

Gola has performed stand-up comedy in various one-man shows on the South African comedy circuit since 2006,[24] as well as in several international comedy festivals.[13]

On 21 January 2022 he appeared on the BBC1 programme Would I Lie To You?, series 15, episode 3.[25]

Recognition

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Gola won the Best Breakthrough Comedy Act South African Comedy Award for his 2007 one-man show Loyiso Gola for President, which coincided with the run-up to the election of a new leader of the African National Congress who would ultimately become the President of South Africa.[7][24][26]

In 2012 Gola was named one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, in the Media & Film category.[27] Men's Health describes Gola as having "divisive mass appeal" due to the openly critical nature of his humour, and being "a genuine thinker masquerading as a fool and the reluctant voice of a cynical generation".[4]

Late Nite News was nominated for an International Emmy Award for best comedy series in 2013.[28]

One-man shows

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  • I'm Frank (2006)[24]
  • Loyiso Gola for President (2007)[24]
  • Coming Home (2010)[17]
  • Life & Times (2011)[1]
  • Professional Black (2012)[29]
  • Loyiso Gola Live (2013)[30]
  • State of the Nation Address (2014)[31]

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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Awards

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  • 2002 – Winner of Sprite Soul Comedy Tour
  • 2007 – South African Comedy Award – Best Breakthrough Comedy Act for Loyiso Gola for President
  • 2014 – The Savanna SA Comic's Choice Award – Comic of the Year Award[36][37]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Newman, Latoya (28 February 2012). "Long live President Loyiso Gola!". IOL Tonight. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Musila, Grace A. (2014). "Laughing at the Rainbow's Cracks". In Obadare, Ebenezer; Willems, Wendy (eds.). Civic Agency in Africa: Arts of Resistance in the 21st Century. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer Ltd. pp. 147–166. ISBN 9781847010865. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 Ghomeshi, Jian (22 July 2013). "Loyiso Gola satirizes South Africa". CBC. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Schutters, Lindsey (19 June 2014). "Loyiso Gola Pulls No Punches". Men's Health. Rodale Inc. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "The 10 best ... live events of the week". City Press. South Africa. 28 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Loyiso Gola". TVSA. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Maubane, Mohlomi (2007). "Johannesburg Kultcha : Kultcha / Interviews – Loyiso Gola". Johannesburg Live. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  8. ↑ Huisman, Biénne (10 November 2013). "Loyiso Gola: Going back to his roots". City Press. South Africa. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Gola's the hottest ticket in town". Cape Times. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Gola's gagging for top job". The Times. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Nombembe, Philani (14 June 2012). "School's plight rattles Gola". The Times. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  12. 1 2 Potgieter, Marelize (5 July 2012). "Dis sinloos om skool te sluit, sê grapjas" [It's senseless to close school, says comedian]. Die Burger (in Afrikaans). Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Nicolson, Greg (6 May 2013). "In profile: Loyiso Gola". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  14. 1 2 Blignaut, Charl (12 December 2010). "Laughing Stock". Times LIVE. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Motaung, Sonia (18 August 2002). "Soul Comedy will have Sowetans rolling in the aisles". City Press. South Africa. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Funnyman going places". City Press. South Africa. 22 December 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 Henry, Zane (27 April 2010). "Comedian Loyiso's homegrown humour". IOL. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Tiwane, Bonginkosi (14 November 2014). "Young Gola to speak up for all the coconuts". The Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  19. 1 2 Ritz, Carly (24 November 2010). "Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola". The New Age. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Dinner with the President". TVSA. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Smith, David (11 January 2013). "From Trevor Noah to Loyiso Gola: The country is cracking up". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Brodie, Nechama (21 December 2010). "Late night laughs catch on". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  23. ↑ Marx, Willem (30 March 2012). "From Around the World, Your Fake News". Businessweek. Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Moncho, Kgomotso (30 January 2007). "Funny/Stupid". The Star. South Africa. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2014 – via HighBeam Research.
  25. ↑ Would I Lie to You? - Series 15: Episode 3. Retrieved 29 August 2025 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  26. ↑ "SA's funniest win awards". News24. 18 September 2007. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  27. ↑ Pritchard, Cat. "Loyiso Gola – Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans 2012". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  28. ↑ Jason, Stefanie (8 October 2013). "'Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola' nominated for an Emmy". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  29. 1 2 3 Gadd-Claxton, Lynne (20 October 2012). "'Professional black' unveiled". The Herald. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  30. ↑ Duguid, Jonathan (22 November 2013). "Review: Loyiso Gola Live at the Baxter". EWN. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  31. ↑ Capazorio, Bianca (8 August 2014). "Our guy Gola in a fine state". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  32. ↑ Korff, Jean-Marie (12 April 2010). "Outrageous!". Channel24. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  33. ↑ "Loyiso Gola booked to headline Comedy Central Presents ... Live at Parker's". Comedy Central. 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  34. ↑ "BBC One - Would I Lie to You?, Series 15, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
  35. ↑ Digitalbox. "Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains New Year Special". TV Guide. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  36. ↑ "Six of the best honoured at The 4th Annual South African Savanna Comic's Choice Awards". The Savanna SA Comic's Choice Award. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  37. ↑ Roxanne (4 August 2014). "Loyiso Gola takes Comic of the Year Award!". TRUELOVE. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
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