What do you get when you cross hopeful and perseverant South Africans, a country teetering on the brink, a nation super proud of its recent successes, an election year, and the biggest annual gathering of the funniest people in SA?

The Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards. Obviously.

Themed ‘You Think You Know South Africa’, the 11th edition is an awards event disguised as a comedy show, all to celebrate SA’s best comedians against the backdrop of our beautiful yet turbulent country.

“Much like our country, our comedy infrastructure was a bit on the edge there for a while, so everyone’s had to pull their weight to rebuild the framework of comedy,” comments this year’s awards show host, Mpho Popps. “South Africa’s much the same; we all need to do our bit to drive our country forward, and as SA gives us comedians so much material daily, we thought it high time that we affectionately gave back to it in our own, endearing but comedically brutal way.”

Taking place at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City on Saturday 13 April, expect a glamorous night filled with trophies, sketches, punchlines and satire, and a star-studded line-up made up of previous award-winners and A-list celebs.

Joining Mpho on stage will be the likes of Celeste Ntuli, Khanyisa Bunu and Robby Collins, who will bring the stand-up gold as we celebrate the recipients of the 12 prestigious award categories. Each winner will do five minutes of stand-up instead of an acceptance speech, so prepare for a fun night of laughter and pure comedy genius.

Supported by proudly South African brands, Savanna Premium Cider has partnered with the awards since 2012, enabling it to reach new heights year-on-year.  Mrs. Ball’s is bringing the flavour to the table for the second year running, and LIFT continues to uplift SA’s entertainment industry as the official airline for the awards.

“This year’s theme resonates with the ethos of Savanna Premium Cider,” comments Kayla Hendricks, Senior Brand Manager: Savanna Premium Cider. “Just like the Comedians who will be celebrated at the Awards, Savanna uses humour to offer a crisp, witty perspective on what’s happening around us. We’re looking forward to a night that showcases the best of South African comedy, with fond reflection on our nation’s inherent sense of resilience and the humorous processing of it all despite whatever comes our way.”

The exciting news for 2024 is that Comedy Central has joined as the official television partner for the first time and will be broadcasting a TV Special of all the highlights from the show a couple of weeks after the event. Dillon Khan, Vice President of Comedy Central, says “We are proud to join in this laughter revolution as an official television partner for the 2024 Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards. It's talented comedians like this who help us deliver on our mission to make life funnier and we can’t wait to celebrate and showcase the brilliance and humour that defines our nation.”

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards, a celebration of the best comedians in SA. It’s for anyone who just wants to get out and have a good laugh!

Tickets start at R195 and are available from Computicket. Dress code: Black Tie with South African flavour.

Keep your eyes on social media for more line-up announcements and for Comedy Central’s broadcast dates.