BY BRENNA MATENDERE
LOWER GWERU-born comedian Ngqabutho “Mr Kunyima” Mlilo says he was inspired by Freddy “Kapfupi” Manjalima’s acting prowess, to discover his entertainment talent.
In his budding career, Mlilo has released several comedy clips on social media sites such as Facebook and WhatsApp. He has also become a much-sought-after artist at many private functions in the Midlands province.
Speaking to Southern Eye Life & Style yesterday, Mlilo said he realised his talent while still at school and had been doing it for fun, adding that acting had now become his profession.
“I started doing comedy when I was in high school at Whata Secondary School and my peers used to enjoy it. After I posted my clips on various social media platforms, that is when I realised how people loved my productions,” he said.
“At first, I did not believe people would love me that much. I have thousands of followers. I was honoured to see Jah Prayzah posting one of my clips on his page. I have not met him physically, but I realised he is one of my fans and my dream is to meet him one day,” he said.
Mlilo bemoaned lack of sponsorship and promoters as the major setback in the comedy industry.
“We have huge numbers of talented artists out there who lack exposure and sponsorship. There is need for the government to take the arts seriously, just like any other profession and assist in any way possible,” he said.
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“People love entertainment, but the problem is they don’t pay for it. We need to have a change of mindset, where artists get payments for their works other than entertaining people for free. In countries like South Africa and Nigeria, artists are respected and are well-paid as compared to us.”
Unlike other comedians who usually do contemporary political issues, Mlilo’s comedy usually focuses on people who are stingy, arguing that he would like to encourage people to share the little they have, regardless of the economic challenges in the country.
The 30-year-old artist said his plans were to shoot a comedy drama, which he wants shown on national broadcaster, ZTV.
“I now have the confidence in my work. I am currently working on a comedy drama which is longer than I have been doing on social media. I will present it to Zimbabwe Broadcast Corporation before year-end. My fans should expect more laughs from the comedy. My wish is to be internationally recognised,” he said.
Mlilo said he was currently using mobile phone cameras to shoot his video clips and was, therefore, calling upon well-wishers and sponsors to assist him in purchasing modern cameras.
