The Almost Perfect Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Chuma Bentele is a Cape Town-based animator and comedian who is part of the Comics Choice Award-winning That's Not Funny team, and has worked on the Disney animated Afrofuturist anthology series, Kizazi Moto. With a love of the absurd, and a fearless approach to dissecting race dynamics in South Africa, Chuma has steadily built a name for himself as one of the most exciting new voices in South African comedy.

In this episode, we talk about how Chuma’s creative process flows between organising and performing stand-up gigs, animation, and writing, we dig into the nuances of the Cape Town comedy circuit, and why bombing on stage can sometimes be the best thing for your career. We also get into his experiences of living in Jeppe for 3 months, and the time he was mistaken for Tshepang Ramoba from Blk Jks in Stellenbosch. Enjoy.

Keep up with Chuma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chumanotchuma/

Follow That's Not Funny: https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotfunnycpt/

Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect

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Sophie Joans is a theatre-maker, comedian, and the kind of performer who doesn’t just toe the line — she cartwheels over it. From playing the devil in a satirical German production where Elon Musk stands in for Faust, to getting her tits out for laughs at the Armchair, Sophie’s work blurs the boundaries between clowning, comedy, and full-blown chaos.

In this episode, we talk about Sophie’s recent international tour, creepy encounters in Germany, and why she believes live theatre will always be “AI-proof.” We also get into the origins of her production company Spark in the Dark, how it launched 14 shows at the National Arts Festival (7 of which won awards), and why building community beats chasing algorithms. Along the way, there are stories about Andrew Tate-inspired satire, nipple-related nicknames, and the ethics of turning exes into punchlines. Enjoy.

Keep up with Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solo_joans/

Check out Spark in the Dark: https://www.instagram.com/sparkinthedarksa/

Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect

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Colin Moss knows all too well that fame is a prison. Thankfully, it's a prison he managed to escape when moving to New York to pursue his acting career. Colin took a massive risk by giving up a rather successful career on TV in South Africa to start at the bottom in one of the most cutthroat cities to be an actor. Judging by his extensive IMDB page, which features credits on Black Mirror, Jessica Jones, and The Deuce, it's a risk that's paid off, although it took a few lucky breaks and many failures to get to a place where he's consistently booked and busy.

In this episode, we get into Colin's early days as a stand-up comedian and TV presenter, we discuss the dreaded Heat magazine era of fame in South Africa, and we learn about the realities of giving up local fame for international success. Enjoy.

Keep up with Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colmoss/

Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfect

Buy tickets to It's Not The End of the World: https://groundculturecafe.com/event/its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/

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On the evening of Monday 25 January 2021, Nas Hoosen passed away due to complications with COVID-19. Nas was an incredible storyteller who mostly told stories through screenwriting and comics. He was a pop-culture polymath who absorbed trivia and could recount even the most seemingly inane details and moments with incredible insight. He was the biggest champion of his friends and was someone who would always offer words of encouragement and wisdom. The world is a darker place without him in it, but he did leave many candles burning to guide us forward. 

This episode was originally released on 21 Feb 2019 and features an updated introduction. 

Laugh along to Nas's critiques of movies here: https://letterboxd.com/naswho/

Have a think and a laugh at his comics here: https://www.instagram.com/naswho/

And if you'd like to know about more Nas's work, we discussed the nuances of screenwriting in this episode of Almost Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mc_rdVHXd8&t=555s&ab_channel=AlmostPerfect

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Sia and Big Sexy are pornstars. They're a couple in their mid-30s who have both tried their hands at a variety of careers before finding success with sex work. While they were already in the industry before COVID hit, it was alongside other side-gigs until the lockdown pushed them to commit to it full time. It turns out making porn together is a great way to earn money from home, although it obviously comes with its challenges.

In this episode, we get into the ins and outs of making porn in South Africa. From the strange hours due to catering to different timezones, to your neighbours recognising you from your work. We get into the business side of things and learn how it's similar to many other types of online content production. And we also hear how their family and friends reacted to the news of their career change. Enjoy.

Follow Sia and Big Sexy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SiaBigSexy

And OnlyFans: https://onlyfans.com/siabigsexy

And check out their website: siabigsexy.com

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-85-sia-big-sexy/

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Dylan Buckle aka Noobslice is the events manager for South African esports company ATK. He started out his career in esports as one of the early adopters of streaming in South Africa. Dylan steadily built his name and community on Twitch whilst also gaining experience in the corporate side of tabletop gaming. Both lead him to his current position, something he could have never seen coming when he started out.

In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of esports and streaming in South Africa. Obviously, South Africa has its own unique challenges compared to the more developed countries, but more and more we're seeing local teams hold their own on the international stage. We also get into the difficulties of organising events during the pandemic, and we get some very useful advice for those of you looking to start streaming. Enjoy.

Keep up with Dylan on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/noobslice

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noobslice/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoobsliceZA

If you have 2 minutes spare and would like to help make The Almost Perfect Podcast better, please could you fill out this 10 question survey? Thank you. https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=2531d05c0dd107158fa4a540a&id=8818aa09e9

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ANG (Angela Weickl) is a DJ and the Culture and Network Manager at Levi's Haus of Strauss Africa- a job she was uniquely qualified for after 15 years of contributing to the music industry. ANG got her start in the music industry as a sound engineer at open mic gigs but soon found herself becoming a prominent part of the Cape Town scene as a club manager and DJ.

In this episode, we get nostalgic over the pre-social media era where being handed a flyer was how you found out where you were jolling that weekend. ANG talks us through the early days of her career, from mixing bands she grew up listening to, to becoming the manager at Armchair in her early 20s, and how that all lead to a successful DJ career that she could have only dreamed of growing up. It's a wonderful look at one of the golden periods of Cape Town's music scene through ANG's eyes. Enjoy.

If you have 2 minutes spare and would like to help make The Almost Perfect Podcast better, please could you fill out this 10 question survey? Thank you.

https://us19.list-manage.com/survey?u=2531d05c0dd107158fa4a540a&id=8818aa09e9

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A somewhat positive look back at the top 10 things that got me through 2020. 

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Parabyl (Ciarán Slemon) is an electronic music producer and tech-loving autodidact who has spent countless hours behind the PC either creating art or absorbing as much information as possible. It's probably why he's wise beyond his years and has quite a few nuggets of wisdom (and facts) to share with us.

In this episode, we get into being the weird kid in school who was teased for enjoying learning, but now that constant desire to learn more has helped him develop into a well-rounded artist and human-being. We chat about having realistic expectations about a career in music whilst still continually trying to create work that he finds fulfilling. We discuss the value of having peers who are honest with you, and we also get into the nuances of being introverted during the lockdown. Enjoy.

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-82-parabyl/

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Moonchild Sanelly is an icon.  There's just no other way to put it. How many other South African artists do you know who have worked with Beyonce, Gorillaz, and Diplo? On top of that, she has her own clothing label and is planning to release a range of sex toys. She's a true original who does things her own way which is reaping the rewards now but saw her spending much of her career as an outsider in the industry. 

In this episode, we learn how her mom instilled a fierce rebellious nature in her and taught her to never follow. We get into Moonchild's formative years in Durban where she would hustle to get behind every mic she could get her hands on whilst studying fashion, working a job in retail, and eventually earning a slot on radio. We obviously touch on working with Beyonce and what it means for Moonchild, and, naturally, we talk a lot about sex. Enjoy. 

https://almostperfect.co.za/almost-perfect-81-moonchild-sanelly/

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