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Q&A w/ Khathu Litshani: Being multiskilled is crucial in the entertainment industry
22 May 2019
Most people know 30-year old Khathu Litshani as the DJ and comedian who became an overnight sensation through the hilarious videos he uploaded onto social media. However, there's so much more to him...
DJ and comedian, Khathu Litshani.
Having worked in the entertainment industry for over seven years Litshani has been called producer, brand influencer, MC, event organiser and businessman and is now working on Kooking with Khathu, in collaboration with Viva Nation TV.
Litshani realised his talent as a comedian in 2015 when he started short comedy videos, which received a lot of positive feedback from the public and garnered him a huge following on all of his social media pages, as well as earned him a spot as one of the biggest vloggers in the country. His consistency saw him landing a deal with Vodacom and MTN, as the first comedian/DJ to have a voice-only caller tune in South Africa. He is also the first comedian to have a content-driven partnership with Transit TV (TTV) - a channel that reaches 13 million people monthly.
Following his success, e.tv Sunrise labelled him as South Africa’s most liked social media comedian. Litshani was one of the 24 newcomers across the country who formed part of the Savanna Newcomer Comedy showcase which was a huge accomplishment for him. Having done stand-up comedy for only two years now, Litshani was thrilled to be afforded the opportunity to showcase his authentic talent at this prestigious event.
We caught up with him and chatted to him about his career, campaigns he worked on that stood out and what advice he can give to the new kids on the block.
Tell us about your journey thus far. How did it start for you?
How it all started for me! I guess it goes all the way to when I was still a young boy growing up in the streets of Tembisa having aspirations of making music, travelling the world playing music and being on the coolest radio shows. With that, I’ve seen a lot and grew a lot as an artist from going to DJ at weddings, pushing speakers with a trolley, to rocking big stages such as Spring Fiesta and working for the coolest youth radio station to even venturing into doing comedy. It really is just a dream that I’m living and I have to pinch myself each time just to remind myself that this is real.
You’ve worked on several big brand campaigns in the past. Which campaign stands out and why?
This is a difficult question because each campaign is different and with it comes new excitement and new experiences. But I guess for me it would have to be working with the CCA team on the Vodacom and MTN caller tunes. That has to be the highlight of my career because that deal opened so many doors for me and to this day, I truly appreciate that partnership and experience.
You wear many hats. Would you say being a multiskilled individual is nowadays a requirement in the industry?
Being a multiskilled individual in this day and age in our industry is very crucial because it sets you apart from the rest and it also gives you an advantage over your competition. It’s also essential that you are able to manage your skills and time because with doing a lot of things skills management and time, play a vital role towards your success.
What are you currently working on?
I just recently released my fourth single titled, Gone. It’s a house song that features an artist by the name of RayT. It’s a house single and I'm also looking to shoot a video for the single. There’s also my new radio show called The Nowadays Drive that I’m doing with Nation Radio every Friday – I'm super stoked about that.
I’m also shooting a cooking show, Kooking with Khathu that I’m doing with online TV station Viva Nation, so there’s a lot I'm working on. It's exciting times.
What advice can you give to the newbies in the industry?
The advice I’d give to the new guys is that firstly, master your craft and perfect it. That’s very important and be teachable never assume you know everything and very important have humility it will take you far!
Who do you look up to?
I look up to so many people and for different reasons, I look up to DJ Fresh. I love his style of radio. I also look up to guys like Black Coffee and Trevor Noah who took what we are doing locally and elevated it to the next level and they are now playing in the global space which is great to see.
Thank you to everyone who supports my brand and my work. Never stop believing in me and God bless!
For updates or to catch up with Litshani on his journey, you can follow him on the following social media channels: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
