Biography of Loyiso Gola & Net Worth

Loyiso Gola (born 16 May 1983) is a South African stand-up comedian. He is the co-creator and anchor of the late-night satirical news television series Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on e.tv and eNCA which was launched in 2010.

In 2012 he was named one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, in the Media & Film category. Men’s Health describes Gola as having “divisive mass appeal” due to the openly critical nature of his humour, and being “a genuine thinker masquerading as a fool and the reluctant voice of a cynical generation”. His younger brother Lazola Gola is also a comedian.

Early life and Career

Gola is a Xhosa, born in the Cape Town township of Gugulethu. He moved away from Gugulethu at the age of 14 and attended Zonnebloem Nest Senior School in Woodstock. Gola describes himself as “very reserved and shy” before his exposure to comedy. After performing a stand-up opening act for comedian Marc Lottering at his high school, his drama teacher introduced him to the Cape Comedy Collective at the age of 17. He subsequently job shadowed stand-up comedians from the comedy troupe for a school work experience programme and began performing on stage regularly with the group. He matriculated in 2002, and won the Sprite Soul Comedy Tour in December of the same year, after which he relocated from Cape Town to Johannesburg.