With over 100 000 video views and thousands of followers, stand-up comedian and social media sensation Vusumzi “Vusi Oulik” Sono is determined to position himself in the industry.
Speaking to The Rep, the Burgersdorp-born comic who is known for imitating different accents, keeps followers entertained with his funny videos, skits and short films. Sono said comedy was never part of his dream until he met a group called Untamed Empire in his home town in 2018. “I never saw myself as a funny person. Back in high school, my schoolmates would give me ideas for stand-up comedy, but I never took that seriously. When I met Untamed Empire, I realised I was gifted.”
Sono said a video he created in 2019 when he imitated a character with a coloured accent garnered attention from people around the country. “That is when I realised I can mimic different accents and I started creating various characters to best suit each video. I joke about anything. I don’t like following trends. I create my own stuff. I sometimes wake up thinking about something, then I make a video out of it.”
Sono, who also kept people entertained with his Covid-19 national lockdown video clips, said he wanted to bring out the humour during the pandemic to ease panic among citizens.
He said the love and support he received from followers of his work motivated him to pursue his career in comedy. “I feel I am on a celebrity platform. Things have changed because I am now recognised even when I walk in the street. I have followers as far as the United Kingdom, Portugal and Denmark who encourage me to make videos. I sometimes receive free data and phone calls from people requesting more videos.”
The comedian, who now lives in Komani, said one of his biggest achievements as a newbie in the industry was doing a one-man comedy show in East London. He has also performed in various festivals and was a host at one of the Eastern Cape’s auspicious functions, the Berlin November. Sono can be reached on Facebook, Twitter @Oulik_Vusi, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.