South Africa’s Vafa Naraghi performed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Nairobi Laugh Bar on Wednesday 11th, becoming the first comedian to sell out a mid-week show at Kenya’s first full-time comedy club.
The feat was made even more incredible by the fact that the show was announced on Monday: The only comedian to sell out a show faster in Nairobi is Dave Chappelle whose May impromptu show at the Louis Leakey Auditorium sold out in under two hours.
Since his first visit to Nairobi in August 2023, Vafa has managed to cultivate an almost-cultic crowd, thanks to his social media work ethic that has seen him collaborate with numerous Kenyan content creators, gaining a considerable number of Kenyan fans in the process.
The audience at the Laugh Bar was not all Kenyan though as several other African countries including Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Liberia were represented, further cementing the fact that Vafa is one of the most bankable African entertainers at the moment.
Performing alongside Emmanuel Kisiangani who came in as the host and Justine Wanda who was the opener, the two-time Savannah Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards winner did not disappoint on stage either as he kept the audience entertained for a little more than an hour. His crowd work was particularly magical.
“I came to see Vafa tonight but I enjoyed every single act. This is top comedy.” Said one audience member after the show.
Before he left the stage, Vafa hinted that this may be his last performance of the year. If that ends up being the case, he can rest easy knowing that he did end the year with a bang.
