Call him an upcoming comedian but Emmanuel Phiri famously known as Ndine Emma is surely securing the future of comedy in Zambia.
Currently one of the hottest comics, Emma is climbing the comedy ladder with creativity, and support from fans. His entertaining, unique and well-thought funny acts have earned him a huge following both on social media and real life.
His trendy offering ‘Tidwale’ is proof Emma is the future of Zambian comedy.
But who really is Emma?
He is a fresh talent from high school turned comedian and many people watching and following his video skits on social can confirm he has a lot to offer.
Emma was born in Kabwe in a family of five. He started his trade by cracking jokes in class during his high school days.
In 2021, during the lockdown, he made a video which he only shared to his friends but in no time, it went viral.
Most Zambian social pages immediately began sharing his content, which led to his peers advising him to create his own Facebook page, and there, the journey began.
His Facebook page ended up having more than 15K Followers within 24 hours of its creation.
He later went ahead to engage The Comedian Association of Zambia which at that time was organizing an event with K Mobile in Ndola. The association accorded him his first stage performance to an audience of more than 250 People. At the same event, he performed alongside veterans of comedy such as BOB Nkosha and Brighton Sinkala.
From then on, he has never looked back. In November 2021, he was one of the opening acts for Ugandan comedian Annie Kansime at ECL Mall In Kitwe.
His most watched video skits include BBC vs Zambian Journalist and Calling a girlfriend then her mum answers. Most of his jokes have been described as educative and relatable by many of his fans.
When asked about his challenges in the sector, the comedy protégé said, Zambian comedy industry has many great comedians therefore it is highly competitive. He however says he is grateful for the support so far and has asked his Zambians to be buying event tickets and support local comedians.
According to him, it is not easy to make people laugh, as it requires observation skill, because one needs to make relatable jokes and stories. He emphasised that one also has be open-minded and Intelligent to be a comedian.
Ndine Emma is further asking the Government and private Sector to continue supporting local talent.
“Comedy is a gold mine and Zambia has a lot of it which can be exported,” he advises.
