Are you Africa’s next top comedian? The Africa No Filter Comedy Lab is looking for you


Are you Africa’s next top comedian? The Africa No Filter Comedy Lab is looking for talented African comedians to develop fresh and unfiltered content about Africa. We are looking for funny, unique content that changes how the world sees your community, country or the continent.

Comedians who join the ANF Comedy Lab will get grants of up to $3,000 to create new 10-minute skits. Comedians will also be supported to take their storytelling to the next level through masterclasses and mentorship. They’ll also get marketing support to amplify their skits.

Skits created through the ANF Comedy Lab will also have a digital showcase.

Winners will be selected on the quality of content, comedic delivery, relevance to ANF’s mission of telling African stories beyond stereotypes, and audience engagement across social media.

Eligibility:

  • Open to African comedians aged over 18 and based anywhere on the continent.
  • Comedians must have a combined audience of minimum 3,000 followers on Instagram, their Facebook page and TikTok.
  • Only individual comedians can apply.
  • The comedian must be unsigned (not represented by an agent or management company).
  • All forms of comedy are welcomed (stand-up, music, sketch, etc.) as long as they are delivered in a digital format and are completely original, innovative and exciting.

Submissions

Step 1: Create one comedy skit or submit an existing performance that’s between 45 seconds and 5-minutes long. 

Step 2: Submit an online application on ANF’s website. Make sure you include the link to your skit.

All content can be delivered in English or French.

Timeline:

First Round of the Competition: A first round of selection will be made based on the audience reach of the comedians (at least 3,000 followers across your Facebook page, Instagram, and Tik Tok) and the quality of the content. Please ensure that the link you provide is set to 'public' and is functional.

Second Round of Competition: Comedians whose content is compelling, relevant to ANF’s mission of better representation for Africa and has high engagement on social media platforms will advance to the final round of selections.

Our group of mentors - made up of professional comics - will make a shortlist of candidates. They will use the quality of the content and storytelling, as well as social media engagement and relevance to ANF’s mission of representing Africa beyond stereotypes to shortlist candidates. The shortlisted applicants will then meet the judging panel for online interviews.

Only shortlisted will be notified of the status of their application, by 17 July 2023.

The following applications will not be considered:

  • Incomplete applications
  • Applications submitted via post or e-mail
  • Any hack material and material that is vulgar, racist, sexist, homophobic or that reinforces negative narratives and stereotypes about Africa and Africans, like poverty, corruption, disease, conflict, and poor leadership, and Africans as lacking agency.
  • Accounts or posts that have been boosted by financial means to drive audience engagement.

Competition entries close on 5 June 2023 at 6PM GMT. Public votes close on 11 June 2023.

Applications Closed

Frequently Asked Questions

We welcome all sorts of comedy forms including stand-up, musical comedy, sketch and literally anything in between – as long as it’s funny, exciting, engaging, along with strong storylines that present alternative perspectives about Africa.

The ANF Comedy Lab is a digital competition open to comedians from all geographical regions of Africa. The comedy skits can be submitted either in English or French.

Emerging African comedians over 18 years old from any region of the African continent with at least 3,000 followers across their Facebook page, Instagram and Tik Tok. You must be willing to use your talent to challenge pre-existing stereotypical narratives about and within Africa.

You need to prepare an original comedy material between 45 seconds minimum and 1 minute maximum that you will post on your Facebook page, TikTok or Instagram, and tag @Africanofilter, along with the hashtags #ANFComedyLab and #BetterRepresentation. After submitting your material via our platform, you’ll have to mobilize your audience to vote for you.

No, but you need to be on at least one of the three social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok.

No. Only Facebook pages will be considered.

We are looking for digital comedy proposals of any kind, be it stand-up, sketch, musical comedy or anything in between. If you are selected to be part of the ANF Comedy Lab, you’ll benefit from skills and networking development opportunities and receive a grant to create digital comedy skits.

Yes. You can, if you are aged above 18, have the required social media following and have a compelling and entertaining storyline that does not perpetuate stereotypes about Africa and Africans.

After you’ve submitted your registration form, you will receive a confirmation email. However, due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will get further communication from Africa No Filter. Consider your application unsuccessful if you have not heard back from us by 17 July 2023.

Some of the things the judges will look out for are performance skills, quality and originality of material, along with storylines that positively portray Africa or challenge pre-existing African stereotypical narratives in a funny and engaging way.

Yes. We hosted a Masterclass in Grant Writing for Creatives. Watch it here. We will also have an Instagram live on Friday, 7 April at 3 PM WAT, 4 PM SAST, and 5 PM EAT. Follow @Africanofilter for updates.