15 Dec 2019

 It is a well-known fact that comedians tell jokes to make others laugh. However hidden behind that laughter is a therapeutic experience which has been proven to have health benefits such as lowering stress level.

Comedian Omphile Johane who joined the industry in 2017 can attest to that. Johane who is popularly known as Obza Modidima said in an interview that he had realised comedy was more than just a pleasant way to pass an evening.

Borrowing from the adage that ‘laughter is the best medicine’ he said humour was not just frivolous entertainment, but could help many to cope with challenging situations.

He observed that even though comedy had become a career for him, he believed that making people laugh worked for both the joker and the listener. 

He said the satisfaction he derived from the crowd as it erupted into laughter whenever he was on the stage always made him feel better and happy.

“For me, comedy is a therapy as it can change how people feel, think and even what they do,” he said.Modidima has already attracted a lot of followers through the use of his native language spiced with a bit of funny accent and laughter that easily ignites amusement from his audience.

He said most of his jokes were based on relatable community issues as he wanted to pass a message. 

Modidima who is multi-talented as he is also an evangelist, and a music artist, described his comedy skills as a calling from God.

He narrated that he grew up as a devoted Christian who spent more time spreading the gospel and providing counselling services at Rara Apostolic Church in Maun.

He said this largely contributed to his style of comedy.

“I started developing interest in comedy and little did I know that one day I will be a favourite to many followers. I am very proud that my work has attracted a lot of attention locally and internationally as my clips have gone viral on social media, opening doors for me,” he added.

Modidima said his clips had reached millions of people, an indication that he was connecting well with his audience.

His dream is to traverse the world just to make people laugh. He said he once received an invitation from England to participate in one of the comedy sessions but he failed because of the language barrier.

He said he did not go far academically, as he left school while doing standard two in 1997 to work at farms. The funnyman expressed delight that his jokes  and funny acts had earned him attention and partnership with some experts in the industry who wanted to work with him and market him internationally.

He said negotiations were on going and would soon  seal the deal.

In addition, he said he wanted to go back to school to develop himself and learn the universal language, English.

Locally, Modidima has worked with some media houses, government and private sector as he gets deals to do adverts, sell services and products.

He has also featured in big events such as Mascom Derby, World Aids Day Commemoration, Miss RADP among others. 

Modidima noted that he had done some jingles in Botswana Television and had a segment every Friday from 3pm to 6pm on RB2 on the Automatic drive show.

Though admitting that comedy was profitable if one did it well, he said “It is not simple to make money out of comedy as you need a lot of people to watch your videos before you can make a living from them”. Ends