Being an online entertainer is not an easy job.
Yes, anyone can open a social media page and anyone at any moment can go viral with just one video, but it’s maintaining that page and producing content on a consistent basis that is the challenge.
When I asked online comedian Shakir Chuqy how he has managed to stay around for such a long time, he said what works for him is that he keeps reinventing himself.
He started with online videos way back in 2006 already, so that is 15 years of creating content and pushing it every day in an industry that can at times be cold and unforgiving.
He first shot to social media fame as one of the stars in the popular send-up reality show, Keeping up with the Kaapdashians with his female alter-ego Chandre.
To me, Shakir has that urban feel about him and resonates well with city audiences.
You put him in a theatre and the audiences might not go for him immediately but you put him in a club or at a car show or some moerse outdoor event and he ruks the party, because he has that thing about him that says “is party tyd”.
He hails from Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain and proudly represents his community in all of his videos, showcasing their point of view in a humorous way on any topic that trends on social media.
Lately, one can see the phenom on TikTok doing parody songs. He says one of his goals is to be recognised as the “coloured Jack Parow” and he wants to rap about topics that others are afraid to cover, while still speaking to his target audience and telling their stories their way.
His latest project, a brand-new show about bizarre food titled Koskop, has garnered a lot of attention on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The first episode was a massive hit when we all witnessed Chuqy and his friend Janna Malan carrying the biggest gatsby while grooving to the hit song by Mr. Cee, “Ek is mooi, ek is pabap”.
The video has received over 500 000 views on TikTok.
Chuqy says he always wanted to do a food show since he participated in the burger challenge at the Grillfather restaurant.
In Koskop, he goes to a restaurant once a week to try out their signature dish, for example, the biggest gatsby in the first episode.
He says that he is still looking for the biggest samoosa and koesiester, so if there is anyone out there who thinks they can pull it off, send Chuqy a message on Facebook.
“The show is not only about me being the host who gets free dite but the intention is to show the world the gevaarlike, clever and weird foods we have in our country, while at the same time creating awareness around local businesses and also perhaps by doing this, we can empower our people,” he says.
In my opinion and judging from the reaction to the first episode, I think this is a winning concept and I am sure we are all going to tune in to see just how big the biggest samoosa in Cape Town is going to be.
With that said, much respect to Chuqy for continuing to grind and hustle while creating such a tasty, entertaining platform that is Koskop.
It is happening and it speaks to Cape Town because we know Capetonians love a dite that mors with a bek.
The one thing - and probably the most important lesson - that Chuqy has learnt over the past 15 years is to simply ignore the negativity that comes with social media, and because of this, I believe the brand that is Chuqy is here to stay for a very long time.