Queen of comedy in the Mother City

Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Celeste Ntuli was oblivious to her own comedic genius. 

Much like the iconic Wayans Family, she was raised in a household full of “roasters”. As a plus-size girl, Ntuli quickly learnt to sharpen her wit as a survival tool.

“There’s too many of us in my family and my brothers were roasters. I realised in hindsight that they taught me how to roast because, my God, they were on my case,” Ntuli says.

“I was the only big person in my house. Everyone else was skinny. So, when you are this size, you’re getting it [roasted] from a young age. It’s either you learn to talk back, fight back, whatever or you learn to be squeamish and just now be a shadow of yourself. 

“I guess, from home to school to everywhere else, they tried shame to bully me but unfortunately for them, God was on my side.”

The queen of comedy says her relationship with God and her spirituality helped her align with her dreams. 

“My dreams were bigger than me. I am not packaged in a way society wanted me to be. I knew there was a lot of work to be done. In my journey, I have learnt that being spiritual helps you align.” 

It wasn’t until she moved to Durban as a teenager that Ntuli discovered comedy existed beyond her living room. That first exposure was all she needed to realise she could turn her gift for comedic storytelling into a full-time career.

“I started partying very young with friends. Then, after the night, everyone else would be calling me the next morning, saying: ‘My God, tell me about that joke again. You said this … We laughed. We are still laughing about what you said yesterday.’ 

“And I’m like: ‘Okay, I know I make people laugh.’ Obviously it was such a regular setup, which is why when I saw comedy for the first time, I was like: ‘Oh, my God, this is what I do.’ These people are telling stories. It’s just that I tell them when I am chilling with friends. I was like: ‘Okay, this is how you package it nicely and put it to the audience for sale.” 

Many years after experiencing a comedy show, the comedian is fresh off selling out a 4 000-seater in Joburg for her stand-up show Celeste & Da Big Dudes, which she has done twice in the city. Ntuli is taking the show to Cape Town on Saturday,  21 February 2026. 

“Joburg has given me nothing but the best reception. First time taking it to Cape Town since I started it. It’s been three years of me trying to get it to Cape Town.”

It is often said that comedy operates as a medium that critically mirrors society. This is true for Ntuli. When prepping for her stand-up, there are themes and social realities that aid her in shaping the material.

“I am fascinated by how society is witnessing women’s journeys and refusing to understand that yeah, it is a thing, it’s a different one. It has been my topic on how we’ve changed. We are the first women to do what we do. 

“No generation has had the opportunities that most women have now. I love such topics because I’m fascinated by how society is catching up with the changes in general. Even how men are changing. Change is fascinating in every aspect, be it men, women or education. I love human behaviour. I’m passionate about how we respond in our lives.”

Ntuli doesn’t change her material for audiences in different cities because she finds that South African audiences share similar experiences and humour, allowing her to maintain consistent material. She does, however, incorporate multiple languages and cultural references to engage diverse audiences, often educating and expanding their understanding through comedy.

“With Durban, for me particularly because I’m Zulu, everyone wants me to speak in that Zulu. They [Durban audience] missed it. I would throw a joke in English and the minute I switch to Zulu, it’s a different type of energy. I get it because I’m from the rural areas. But otherwise, I go to Cape Town and I perform. I perform in English. 

“The jokes are the same but sometimes when you perform for people who are not from your culture, it’s even better because you get a chance to teach them. You get a chance to share your joke in a way that is teachable, that is expanding. Then there is lots of stuff to draw from.”

Now a powerhouse on the South African comedy scene, Ntuli’s choice of title for her comedy show isn’t a coincidence. It pays homage to a fellow South African powerhouse.

“A long time ago, Brenda Fassie had a band called Brenda and the Big Dudes. That’s what made her the Brenda Fassie we know. I was just playing with the word. Also, the band members were dope people and very talented with their instruments and what they played. My show, although it’s not music or a band, is a line-up of great comedians.” 

When selecting the line-up for the show, the comedian selects based on skill, not fame, in order to create a trusted brand that audiences can rely on for quality entertainment. 

“I choose people who I know are funny. It’s not about whether people know you or not. It’s not about popularity. I want to get it [the show] to a point where it is the brand that you know, you trust that even if you don’t know certain people in the line-up, they are worth buying a ticket for and seeing and enjoying. The show has been mostly for that.”

The line-up for the Celeste & Da Big Dudes show includes Skhumba Hlophe, Tsitsi Chiumya, Mashabela Galane and more. 

The comedian says she’s inspired by Trevor Noah and felt it was time to remind the industry that comedians remain a hot commodity.

“I wanted to put up a show I feel we don’t have in the comedy space. A show that, except for Blacks Only, it was there. But after Blacks Only, we don’t have that show that is going to put us up there in a space of knowing that we are sellable. Which is why I’m trying GrandWest Arena [Cape Town] because no one has been there. 

“Maybe we could try using it ourselves, you know. Inspired by Trevor Noah and then be like: ‘Okay, this is another venue.’ I just wanted a proper venue where the comedy is going to be taken seriously.” 

Reflecting on the show’s recent milestones, Ntuli shares her perspective on its incredible growth since its inception and what she hopes for the future of the show.

“We’ve never been to a show where everyone deserved a standing ovation, where everyone is hilarious and it’s because of the people who worked on their craft. They are seasoned comics who’ve been writing, who have been in the franchise and doing the work.

“I want it to be such a particularly prestigious type of show. A luxury show. A good luxury because of the quality of what you find on stage.” 

Ntuli says she is finishing the run from 2025 and will soon be doing another show in Johannesburg in 2026.

“I’m definitely doing another show in August in Joburg. The tickets are going to be out next month, in March.” 

Selling out her Joburg shows twice served as a turning point. It was the moment Ntuli realised the production had become something far greater than just another night of stand-up comedy.

“It was in 2024 and 2025 that the Joburg shows were sold out. I knew that it was a heavy show when Sjava was willing to close that show. And I said: ‘Okay, now we are talking.’

“And when I got DJ Fresh and when I got other musicians stopping me and being like: ‘So when am I being a big dude?’ I’d be like: ‘Okay, this is becoming some sort of a culture.’ 

It’s just that, of course, I pray for that stronger financial muscle to make it even better. 

On the rise of social media backlash, cancel culture and whether any of that influences her material, Ntuli says “Angina ndaba nani” (I don’t care about you guys), referring to people on social media. 

“There’s a line that is blurry, that is being crossed with this generation of being sensitive over something that has nothing to do with you,” she says. 

What role does she think comedy plays in helping South Africans process the country’s social and political realities?

“Without humour, we are a ticking time bomb. We’ve reached a point as a society. With the rising tension in the political climate, people tend to make jokes about it because if we don’t, we will cry”.