Savanna Premium Cider and Comedy Central Africa hit the road to bring comedy to SA #StandUpForYourComedy

So, Savanna’s taking comedy on the road with the Savanna Comedy Bar Tour, and instead of a barrel full of laughs, it’s a bus, full of SA’s best comedians, dropping into cities, towns and some really unexpected places all over the country to bring some much-deserved laughs because we can all really do with some right now.

The people of South Africa can stand up for their comedy too by showing their support for their faves and the local comedy scene on social media using #StandUpForYourComedy, and by coming to the shows for a chance to win South Africa’s first Non-Fungible Tokens powered by laughs – the more people laugh, the more the value of the NFT grows. That’s right - Savanna has decided to turn the nation’s LOLs into a currency using technology. How? Well, we’ve got a little contraption that measures laughter, the ‘laugh-o-meter’. The more people laugh, the more the laugh-o-meter works and the more the value of the NFT grows. In tech-geek terms that none of us really understand, each NFT will live on the blockchain and will have metadata built into it to represent its ranking (its direct value). And if they win an NFT they can use it to claim awesome prizes from Savanna.

By the end of the tour, lucky people who attended the events and social media followers will win cash prizes, a PlayStation 5 console, fashion vouchers and cash cards. Savanna will give the same value in cash back to the comedy scene, proving once again that they are the biggest supporters of local comedy - this time with the help of the South African people.

“In South Africa it is our superpower to laugh at ourselves while stumbling through the dark (anticipating level 9 loadshedding) and facing jaw dropping petrol and food prices. Our community has demonstrated this time and time again. Siyavanna South Africa we see you and we will be serving unrestricted laughter once again – the best medicine, always. We are embarking on a national comedy tour – we have a bus, SA’s best comedic talent and all nine provinces on our route – because everybody deserves a laugh. Following the lifting of restrictions about gatherings and wearing masks, the time has come to get back to live comedy performances in a responsible manner”, says Eugene Lenford Marketing Manager at Savanna Cider. “We have never wavered in our support of the comedy industry, and the well-being, continuous growth and development of comedic talent is our priority.”

The tour includes the usual suspects like Cape Town, Joburg and Durban - but then add Mbombela, Bela Bela, Kimberley, Rustenburg, Mthatha and Bloemfontein to the list, and that is a whole lot of laughter and kilometres being served. "We are bringing comedy to all the people – big cities and smaller towns. Serving laughter and to say thank you. Every time you put a crisp, dry, delicious Savanna to your lips, you are supporting local comedy", adds Lenford.

First introduced in hard lockdown in 2020, The Savanna Virtual Comedy bar was a way to show support for local comedy. Initially living on Savanna's Facebook and YouTube channels, the show quickly grew in popularity. The show even got rewarded by the industry it supported at the 2020 South African Comedy Awards with two top awards: the Top Comedy Sponsor and Top Online Show. And most recently it was awarded the Absa Excellence in Marketing Innovation Award and a Nando’s special adjudicator’s commendation at the Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) 2022.

This year, will be marking the fourth season, airing on Comedy Central Channel 122 after the national comedy tour is complete. Comedy Central Africa is the global authority in comedy and has been airing Comedy Central Live at the Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar (2021 SAFTA nominee) for the past two years. With their spots secured on the bus, they will be there to capture every official show and all the unofficial shows/moments sure to unfold on the bus and behind the scenes. Brace yourselves for the wit and charm of the likes of Jason Goliath, Celeste Ntuli, Tumi Morake and Nina Hastie.

"If you can't join us for the live entertainment shows, you will be able to tune into Comedy Central from the end of August to join in the laughter and to #StandUpForYourComedy. If you spot the bus in your area, give us a hoot or two to let everyone know their basic human right – comedy - has rolled into town", concluded Lenford.

Be sure to follow the Savanna Premium Cider social media pages to know when it is your city or town’s turn to be served.

#StandUpForYourComedy #SavannaComedyBar #ComedyCentral #StaySafe #SiyavannaSA

Savanna promotes responsible drinking. Not for persons under 18.

For more information, follow Savanna’s social media channels or go to www.savanna.co.za

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About Savanna – “It’s dry, but you can drink it”

Savanna is a premium, crisp, apple cider with a distinctive dry taste. It is one of the largest cider brands in the world and available in over 60 countries. Since its launch in 1996, Savanna Premium Cider has won the hearts and funny bones of consumers with its intelligent, dry and witty sense of humour.